An Imitation of Life
by Adele Varens
Summary: Bound by an agreement, Bella & Rose must hide a dark past to gain their revenge. But when Edward & Emmett come into their lives, can they keep their secret? Or will it destroy them all? AH/OOC,canon couples; see my profile for a more detailed summary.
1. Chapter 1: Vertigo

**Chapter 1: Vertigo**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses. **

**Summary: Bella & Rose have stuck to the plan for months, keeping a dark & frightening secret to gain the ultimate revenge. But when Bella falls for Edward, can she continue hiding the past? Or will it destroy them all?**

**I'll say a bit more at the end of the chapter, but for now I'll just say: Hope you enjoy this! **

* * *

"He says you look like you want to kill someone!" she yelled over the pounding music. She was laughing at me even as she scolded me. "You need to smile, babe, these guys aren't gonna come near you if you look like you wanna chop their dicks off."

"I _am_ smiling," I grumbled to myself. She was already gone, grinning widely and flirting with yet another useless tool. I'd have to keep an eye on her. Rosalie was not one to monitor her alcohol intake. Without someone to step in, she'd be completely blitzed and leave with whichever random "hot" guy happened to be nearest to her at closing time. She believed this was living freely. I, on the other hand, tended to stop drinking as soon as the floor began spinning and had a knack for running guys off. Apparently due to the murderous, cock-chopping look on my face.

Going out had been easier when Rosalie was still with Royce and I was still with Jacob. We'd have a few drinks, dance our asses off in the clubs, flirt and maybe do a little grinding with the tools and tourists, then crash for the night. We even made out with each other sometimes, just for kicks, and more often than not as just a way to give the guys on the floor an extra thrill. The barely-legal wannabes in their pussy-bearing miniskirts and fuck-me heels had nothing on us.

Since we both became single, however, the dynamic of "girls' night" had changed. Rather than just for blowing off steam, they became a single-minded mission: _must get laid_. The mission was more Rosalie's than mine. I mean, sure, it had been 6 months, and I was definitely looking for some penile interaction. But for Rosalie, a night out without peen was a night wasted. So it was likely that I would again be going back to the motel alone while she disappeared with Mr. Moment. I had tried on more than one occasion to point out the danger in going places with strange men, but she always laughed at me and told me not to worry.

"You're not my mother, Bella," she'd say. "I can take care of myself. I don't need you to watch out for me."

She encouraged me frequently to loosen up, to stop being so picky about men. But the truth was, I wasn't looking to get laid for the sake of getting laid. I'd been doing that with Jacob for nearly a decade, spreading my legs when he wanted me to or because I had a biological need rather than a real desire to be with him. Going months without sex was not a new experience for me either. I'd started naming my favorite toys just to give myself something to shout when I came. The two guys I'd been with since my marriage ended had been friends of Rosalie's that she'd all but forced on me, and neither had rocked my world. It didn't help that I felt like a mercy fuck to them, a favor they'd granted Rosalie in the hope of getting…repaid.

In fact, my night with Tyler, her personal trainer, had been the single most humiliating night of my life; he'd come to the motel hoping for Rosalie or at least a bit of three-way action and gotten stuck with me instead. He didn't want me and I didn't want him, but we'd somehow ended up naked together, and I found myself desperately sucking on his stubbornly limp cock, trying not to gag and wondering how the fuck I got there and why.

I knew the answer to both questions: Because that's what Rosalie wanted me to do.

"You want a drink?" I paused my deep, drunken self-reflection only long enough to glare at the gnome standing next to me and decline his offer. It never failed; if there was a short guy with no appeal whatsoever within a 10-mile radius, he would immediately be attracted to me. Rosalie and I jokingly referred to it as the "Lenny and Squiggy Approach": the taller guy, the Lenny, would automatically latch onto tall, beautiful, flirty Rosalie, who talked to any peen who ventured into her space, whether she was interested or not. I, on the other hand, would be stuck with the Squiggy—usually a short, weasel-faced friend who would try to compensate for his size issues by copping an attitude about "tall pretty girls" being snobs.

The current example wasn't taking the hint, so I walked off, water in hand, in search of Rose. I found her canoodling with a Lenny in a dark corner.

"Rose," I called, tapping her on the arm. "I'm done here, babe. Can we go?"

She pulled away and rolled her eyes at me.

"Bella, it's only midniiiiight!" she scolded. She never failed to make me feel like a buzzkill in these instances. Even when every instinct I had was screaming at me to bail, I would stay. And it would usually turn out that my instincts were right.

But Rosalie wanted to stay. Rosalie wanted me to get laid. Rosalie wanted to have some more fun.

So I went back to the bar and surrendered my water. I'd need something a lot stronger if I was gonna remove the colossal stick from my ass and manage to enjoy this night.

Two shots later, the floor was spinning again. Another Squiggy turned up at my elbow and pulled me in the direction of the dance floor, and this time I went. The lights blinded me and the music and movement made me queasy, but I grabbed onto my dance partner and let him have his way with me. Encouraged by my lack of resistance, his hands wandered my waist, chest, and backside freely, groping without purpose, or at least without skill, copping feels like a teenager at his first semiformal. When I tired of him I moved on, collecting random partners along the way.

_So this was fun! This was living free! Hoo-fucking-ray!_

By the time the lights finally came up and the music stopped, I'd had a few more shots and was no longer capable of standing upright or walking in anything resembling a forward motion. My current dance partner led me off the floor, and I stumbled and bobbled around the bar until I found Rosalie—now on the arm of yet another loser, this one at least slightly more appealing than the last—settling her tab. She seemed remarkably more stable than me, but she squealed happily when she saw me in my sloppy state.

"Bella! You got drunk! I'm so proud of you!" She clapped her hands and reached for me. I held onto her for dear life and leaned in the direction of her head, hoping I'd get her ear and not her eyeball.

"I neeeeeed to get out of here," I slurred at her under my breath. "I think my date here wants me to take him home and make a man out of him."

She looked up over my shoulder and then back at me.

"Uh, Bella, are you sure you don't want to go?" She sounded surprised.

"Rose, I donnn wanna fuck some Squiggy just to get my lady bits off," I slurred back.

"OK, I'll take care of it," she assured me. She set me up against the bar for support and disappeared. I begged the bartender for water. He shoved two enormous glasses at me and I sucked them both down quickly, hoping I could keep them down long enough to regain my equilibrium. After a moment Rose reappeared and took my arm, and we made our way out of the club. Squiggy was nowhere to be seen. I hoped she hadn't been too hard on him.

"C'mon, Bella, stand up, for Christ's sake." Rosalie was bitching at me, but I wasn't sure why until I realized her Lenny was following closely behind.

"Oh holy mother fuck, Rose, are you ditching me again?" I looked up at her, but the motion made my whole world shift on its axis. I could hear Rosalie complaining about something, but the swooshing sound in my ears drowned out the substance of her rant. I lowered myself to the cool concrete of the sidewalk. It felt good.

When I woke up, I was alone in our crappy room. Even though Rose and I lived together in an apartment just outside Phoenix, it was part of our tradition to get a cheap motel room close to the club if we were going to be out late and drinking. It also made it easier to "hook up"—we always had a close and available bed ready if needed.

It hadn't been needed often. Rose usually went home with her Lennys, and I certainly wasn't using it.

It took me several minutes to move without the bed spinning under me, but when I was able to turn over on my side, I found my cellphone on the nightstand. As I reached for it, it began vibrating, then Rosalie's ringtone started to play.

"'Lo?" I mumbled. "Rose?"

"She lives!" I squeezed my eyes shut in agony as her voice rattled around inside my head.

"For fuck's sake, Rose, whisper or my head will explode," I moaned. "Where the fuck are you?"

"No idea," she answered, mercifully lowering her voice. "But I'm starving and Mike hasn't woken up yet. Can you come get me? I want breakfast."

"How'm I supposed to come get you if you don't know where you are?" I asked. This was a familiar conversation. Usually, I would help her figure out her approximate location, grab her car keys, and drive in that general direction until I found her. Not today. "Take a cab, babe. I can't see straight and the world is spinning."

"Fine. Whatever." She hung up on me. I laid back on the bed and closed my eyes. The darkness felt good. It quelled the demons in my head and stomach.

"Bella, wake up." Rose shoved my arm. From the aggravated tone in her voice, I gathered she'd been trying to wake me up unsuccessfully for several minutes now. I groaned to let her know I was conscious.

"What happened last night?" I asked when I was able to speak. My tongue was thick and my mouth tasted like ass.

"Well, first you made like my mother and tried to bring me home before curfew. Then you decided to get your drink on, and from what I was able to tell you danced with what was probably the hottest guy in the club, then called him a Squiggy and ditched him before vomiting spectacularly all over my shoes." She reached into a trash can and held up the defiled footwear. "You owe me a new pair of boots. Thank fuck I wasn't wearing sandals last night."

I squinted up at her. The brilliant light pouring in through the miniscule crack in the curtains made my headache throb. "Sorry," I mumbled. I gently rested my head back on the pillow and closed my eyes again. "Ughhhhh, I feel like shit. Why do we do this stuff again?"

"Because it's fun!" she laughed. "Although I can see you're not enjoying it quite as much this morning," she said, whispering now in response to my obvious cringe. She patted my leg. "Come on, Bella. Let's go get some breakfast. It'll do you good."

It was some time later, over French toast and generous helpings of coffee, that I recalled Rosalie's summary of the night before.

One small detail hit me like a brick.

"Rose," I gasped, choking on a mouthful of coffee. "Did you say I danced with the hottest guy in the club?"

* * *

**EPOV**

The tall blonde came through the door like she owned the place, hugging the doorman and greeting the security guards as she headed for the bar. Heads swiveled to follow as she passed by, and there was a near stampede to be the first to buy her a drink. She was clearly a regular, which pegged her as a local—a rarity here at Denali, the biggest tourist trap in Phoenix.

I watched the show with amusement. Tourists were always fun to watch; they all loved the idea of becoming someone else while on vacation. Unfortunately, most of them were ill-qualified to take on the roles they gave themselves. Soccer moms in too-tight dresses had tried to make me their "cub" on several occasions, and I'd seen more than my share of dumbass guys happily grinding their hard-ons into women whose faces showed only disgust and revulsion.

Right now there were at least four guys fighting over the blonde, who was chatting them all up. When she put her hand on the shoulder of the tallest, the other three slunk away, tails between their legs. The alpha had been chosen, apparently. He leaned in toward her and said something that made her laugh. She looked to her right and laughed again, then spoke to someone just out of my view. At that moment, the crowd at the bar parted.

The brunette smiled artificially and with an air of irritation at the blonde, then turned back to her drink with a sour expression. She mumbled something to herself and rolled her eyes as she was jostled around by the crowd. Eventually she gave up trying to hold her place at the bar and wandered toward the dance floor.

She was beautiful. The flashing lights picked up highlights of red in her hair, giving her a shimmer that enhanced her dark eyes and pale skin. She was shorter than her friend, but only by a few inches. She was unhappy here; it was obvious from the defensive pose she held and that persistently sour look. She stared out at the gyrating crowd, brow furrowed, as though lost in thought. I surmised that she had likely been dragged here by her friend, probably on more than one occasion.

I knew the feeling. I was only here as a favor to my brother, who had disappeared some time since. I'd hung around for a while on the off chance he might resurface, but I suspected I'd been ditched for the night. I had been heading for the exit when the blonde had entered, and now here I was, hiding in shadows and stalking her friend like some creature of the night.

She was still staring, still frowning, and I wondered what she was thinking about. I noticed several men looking in her direction, assessing her, and I could almost hear their thoughts as they first admired her body and then were put off by her expression, which said _fuck off_ in the loudest and clearest possible way. Most of the men moved on after that, seeking out friendlier vistas. But I was entranced by the enigma she presented. I was curious to see her really smile, to see if it were possible that she could be even more beautiful underneath all that misery.

I realized suddenly that I wanted to _make_ her smile. It was a bizarre impulse, yet I found myself approaching her nonetheless.

A short kid in a superhero t-shirt bumped into me as he rushed past and slid into the empty place beside her. Shaken out of my momentary insanity, I turned away and fled to the bar, where I downed a shot and tried to get a grip. What the fuck was I doing? I never approached women. Ever. They came to me, usually, which was a blessing only in that it spared me from ever having to make the first move.

First moves terrified me.

Yet my eyes were drawn to her again, and I watched as she stalked away from the superhero and headed toward the bar, obviously searching for the blonde, who had disappeared. Soon she vanished as well, swallowed by the crowd, and I sighed in relief. Puzzled by my strong and immediate reaction to this stranger, I tossed back another shot and leaned heavily on the bar, letting the alcohol fog my brain and erase her image from my conscious.

"A shot of vodka," a voice called out, not far away. When I looked up, she was standing just a few feet down the bar from me. The bartender brought her the drink, and she powered it down and asked for a second. Her eyes soon glazed over, and her face relaxed. Another superhero wannabe came to the bar between us, and she followed him out onto the dance floor. She was unsteady on her feet at first, but as she danced and the alcohol in her system took hold, her moves became rhythmic and far more sexual than I would have expected. I seethed inwardly as the boy began to grope her and she let him, offering no resistance whatsoever; she just kept on dancing as though he wasn't there. He tried to keep up, but she grew tired of him and moved on. Men brought her drinks and she accepted them. She even smiled occasionally, but instead of enhancing her beauty it seemed only to emphasize her unhappiness; it was the amused smile of someone simply too drunk to care anymore.

She was too good to allow herself to be disrespected in this way. I wanted to take her away from this place. I wanted to take care of her.

When the music changed again, I found myself on the dance floor with her in my arms. She barely glanced in my direction as she pressed her back into my chest and ground herself against me. I held her, trying to resist the temptation to touch her as the other men had, even as she made it almost impossible to avoid. I settled for keeping my hands on her hips as we moved together. The first touch of her skin against mine had burned hot, like a circuit had been closed and an electrical current had surged between us. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I needed more.

I held her and maneuvered us away from the others, arguing with myself that I was protecting her, keeping her from the circling vultures who would no doubt take advantage of her. Yet deep down I knew I was taking advantage of her as well, even I as stood there holding her upright and trying to maintain a gentlemanly distance. I was taking what I could get from her without so much as an invitation or an introduction. I was no better than any animal who would drag her off into the dark, than any of those men who would have taken her body without giving a thought to her mind or her spirit.

Torn between the need to touch her and the clarity of mind to know I shouldn't, I danced with her, kept her near me, and stared down other men who tried to cut in. _Back off,_ my expression told them.

_Mine._

When the lights came up, she pulled away from me abruptly and mumbled something about roses. I caught her as she nearly fell and half-carried her toward the blonde, who had resurfaced with a different alpha male. Blondie screeched and clapped as she reached for the girl.

_My girl. _

"Bella! You got drunk! I'm so proud of you!"

_Her name was Bella. _

Bella leaned into Blondie and spoke in a stage whisper that I was close enough—too close—to hear.

"I neeeeeed to get out of here," she garbled. "I think my date here wants me to take him home and make a man out of him."

The blonde looked at me. I was mortified.

"Uh, Bella, are you sure you don't want to go?" Clearly the blonde was not opposed to random drunken sexual encounters. Did that mean Bella was like that as well? And did that bother me or turn me on? My mortification amplified as these thoughts passed through my brain.

"Rose, I donnn wanna fuck some Squiggy just to get my lady bits off," Bella answered, effectively deflating my ego even as it reassured me that Bella was not, in fact, _that_ type of girl. And although I wasn't sure exactly what a Squiggy was, I could read between the lines. The blonde—Rose, apparently—said something and then shifted Bella up against the bar. She motioned to the alpha to watch her. Then she turned to me.

"Come with me," she said. I cringed. I could sense that I was either getting the brush off or about to be subjected to a best-friend tongue lashing. Thus I was surprised when she offered her hand.

"I'm Rosalie," she said. "And you are?"

"Edward," I answered, perplexed. "Edward Masen."

"Edward," she repeated. "Well, Edward, as you can see, my friend Bella over there is quite drunk. This is relatively new territory for her, so I'm gonna take her back to our room now." She paused and frowned. "Come to think of it, I don't know where our room is, but hopefully I'll be able to get that out of her before she passes out." I looked over in Bella's direction and realized she was leaning more and more on the bar. I didn't think she'd be upright much longer. Rosalie was still talking, so I returned my attention to her.

"…you see, Edward, we have to leave now. You understand, right?"

I understood. I nodded, unable to speak. They were leaving, and Bella was going with them. It was time for me to walk away. Break the connection.

"Good night, Rosalie," I said, as politely as I could manage. "It was very nice meeting you both." I turned and walked toward the door.

"Oh, and Edward," Rosalie called out. I stopped and looked back. "We come here every Thursday. It's our regular night out."

I beamed at her and nodded before taking my leave. Thursday was suddenly my favorite night of the week.

* * *

**BPOV**

Rose had been tormenting me all week as punishment for ruining her boots. The most I'd gotten out of her was that his name was Edward, and he was—to use her term—_fuckhot_. She'd also warned me several times to make a move quickly or she'd steal him. She was enjoying having the upper hand. It went well with her determination to school me in flirting, sex, appropriate and inappropriate bar conversation, and safe "wingwoman" signals for _get me out of here he's an ass_ versus _get a room of your own, I'm getting some ass_.

The latter involved several gestures I wasn't sure I could pull off secretively without looking like I had an obscene tic. But as I wasn't planning on using it, the former signal—rolling my eyes in her general direction—seemed sufficient.

"I'm there for _you_ tonight, babe," Rose assured me for the umpteenth time. She was applying copious amounts of liner around my eyelids; I'd never quite mastered the art of eye makeup. "Tonight is about getting you some seriously good fucking!" She was giddy with the prospect. I didn't have the heart to tell her I was most definitely _not_ getting fucked tonight, especially by the faceless mystery man. _Fuckhot_ was a term Rose used liberally, especially when drinking, and I knew I couldn't trust her assessment until I'd seen this Edward through my own almost-sober eyes. _(What? A girl needs a buzz before a club night…)_

"And what exactly will you do with yourself if I take off with Bedward?" I asked. She laughed, and I feared blindness as her eye pencil wavered near my pupil. I was only half kidding; last week's escapade aside, it was usually my job to keep an eye on Rose, make sure she didn't leave her phone anywhere, closed out her tab at the bar, had enough cash for the cab, and so on.

Come to think of it, it was a miracle I made it back to my room last week.

"Seriously, Rose. Do you at _least_ know the name of the hotel? Do you have your ID and your cards? What about—" She glared at me and I stopped midsentence.

"I will be fine, _Bella_," she frowned at me, emphasizing my name with irritation. "You're not my—"

"—Mother," I finished. "I know, I know. Fine." I told her. She finished with my makeup, and I took a look in the mirror to see the damage.

Damn, I looked hot. Even by my standards, which were admittedly almost impossibly high. Rose really wanted me to get laid. Probably so I'd shut up and stop bitching about it. She'd loaned me a top that fit my curves really well—so well that after I put it on, she declared it mine forever, admitting it looked far better on me. My jeans were new, tight in all the right places, and an expense completely outside my budget.

"But _Bella,_ this is an _e-merrrrrr-gen-cy,_" Rose had wailed at me in the mall. "Your budget allows for emergency funds, right?"

Of course she was right. Rose was always right. About sex, anyway. I bought the jeans. And the lacy ladywear she'd insisted on. And the dangerously high heels I was teetering in. If Edward didn't show, this night would go down as the most expensive waste of time ever.

But I did look hot. So maybe not a complete waste of time.

A couple of preparty beers, a serious toothbrushing, and a cab ride later, we were on our way to Denali. I was getting increasingly nervous as we got closer, and it didn't help that Rose was still spewing random tips at me even as we climbed out of the cab.

"…and remember, Bella, do NOT look for him. Let him come to you. Find yourself someone to dance with maybe, or a hot guy at the bar to talk to. Be distracted. Be fun. And for fuck's sake, smile!" She poked my side as she said the last part. After several tries I apparently found an acceptably pleasant expression. I held it as Ben, the doorman, greeted us and waved us forward, opening the door to what I hoped would not be the second most humiliating night of my life.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It had been 3 hours, and I'd all but run out of small talk, false laughter, and patience. The preparty buzz had long since died, and I was about 10 minutes away from either a shot or a cab ride back to the motel. Rose, after about half an hour as my "wingwoman," had gotten bored and found herself a pack to flirt with. I had tried my best to hold my smile and act "fun," but now I was back where I'd been the week before, sober and miserable. Whatever attraction to me Rose had sensed from this Edward must have been purely a figment of her drink-addled imagination.

"I'm leaving," I told her after fighting my way through her admirers. "This is stupid, Rose. He's not coming."

"Belllllllaaaaaa!" she drawled at me. Uh oh, Rose was a goner. So much for being there for _me_ tonight. She turned and giggled at the group around her. "So boys, who's taking my Bella home tonight?"

"Rose!" I growled as a few hands shot up. "No one is taking anyone home tonight, except me taking you back to the motel." I reached for her and pulled her up. Holding onto her waist to keep her from wandering, I waved to Eric, the bartender, for the tab. Tonight's fun had at least been cheap, I noted; Rose's binge must have been supplied by the wolves.

"Come on, wingwoman," I grunted as I pulled her along with me. Several guys tried to convince her to stay, but apparently she wasn't entirely wrong about my cock-chopping glare. They backed off quickly. We wobbled through the door and out to the taxi stand. A cab was just pulling up, mercifully, and the attendant waved us to it as two tall figures climbed out in mid-argument.

"Em, if you hadn't spent so much time flexing in the mirror, we'd have been here hours ago," I overheard. The voice came from a tall man who was walking backwards as he spoke.

"Screw you, man," his companion answered, laughing as he came from around the other side of the cab. The Voice laughed and started to turn toward us, still looking in the wrong direction. I saw the inevitable collision coming and prepared to go around him, but at that second Rosalie stumbled. The three of us crashed into each other.

"Fuuuuck!" My leg ached where I'd hit concrete, and there was a lovely new hole in my very expensive jeans.

"Son of a bitch!" I glanced over at the moron who'd knocked me down. His friend was helping him up, blocking my view. Not that it mattered. "Fucking asshat. Watch where you're going next time, huh?"

I brushed myself off, then leaned down to check on Rosalie, who was giggling. She appeared unhurt, so I pulled her up.

"I'm s-so sorry," the Voice stammered out. I rolled my eyes.

"Whatever." I dragged Rose to the cab and helped her in. She was still giggling as she slid across the seat. I gave the driver the name of our motel and slammed the door. Rose laughed harder.

"Rosalie, what the fuck is so funny?"

She paused to look at me. "You're a dope, Bella Swan!" she cackled, then started laughing again. "That," she gasped between fits, "was Edward."

Fuck. My. Life.

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**Thanks for reading! This is my first Bella and Edward story, and most of it is already written. I intend to update once or possibly twice a week. I'd like to thank o_Oza, MsKathy, KayCannon1, and emmward for agreeing to be my prereaders and sharing their thoughts. You can find me as well as all of them on Twitter, probably talking about something smutty. Speaking of which, this story will contain some lemons and should be kept away from those too young to vote.  
**

**I'll have a few things to explain as the story develops, but for now I'll just say "Thanks!" and "Hope to see you next time!"**


	2. Chapter 2: Diner

**Chapter 2: Diner**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

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* * *

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**EPOV**

I watched them drive away. Bella's words and anger still hung in the air. Even pissed as hell and disheveled from our collision, she looked amazing. She was dressed up; her hair was done differently, and she wore more makeup this time.

Did she dress up for _me?_

I _was_ an asshat. It was Emmett's fault, really; he'd fallen asleep after dinner. His job required him to work crazy hours, so when he got a chance to sleep, he usually made the most of it. Waking him up was both an impossible and life-threatening task, but as hours passed and my time with Bella dwindled, I took matters into my own hands.

And doused him with ice water.

As retribution, he'd taken forever getting ready. Forty minutes in the shower. Twenty minutes to brush and then meticulously floss his teeth. Half an hour to get dressed. Time slipped away. I all but shoved him into the cab when it arrived, and we bickered back and forth. I tipped the cabbie extra to make him drive faster. I didn't want to miss Bella. I was going to introduce myself properly, have a real conversation with her, ask her to dance. I was twitchy by the time we arrived, and I should have been watching where I was going.

But of course I wasn't.

Emmett had helped me up, but from around his rather expansive girth I could see that her jeans were torn. She dismissed my apology with a muttered "whatever" and never looked once in my direction. I could hear Rosalie laughing drunkenly as Bella helped her into the cab, and then they were gone.

It must have been clear on my face. Emmett put a hand on my shoulder.

"I'm sorry bro. That was her, wasn't it?"

I nodded dumbly and went inside. This was a night to get drunk, if ever there was one.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

There's nothing worse than the morning after a binge. Except the morning after a binge inspired by abject failure and humiliation. Added to which, in this circumstance, was the displeasure of waking in a cheap motel to the sounds of Emmett snoring. I had to admit, I'd gotten spoiled by the four-star hotels we usually reserved for nights out. Emmett was rarely home more than a couple weeks at a time, and then gone for months, so whenever he had time off, he would cash in his travel points and we'd live it up for a couple of days. I made the plans; he supplied the means. Which is exactly what we'd done, _last week_.

This week's night out was on me. Hence the $39 special.

At least there was free breakfast in the lobby. I needed coffee and something stable before my stomach revolted. I pulled on my jeans, a t-shirt, and shoes and let myself out into the hall.

"Well, well," said a female voice behind me. "Look what we have here!"

I whispered a quiet prayer that I was wrong about that voice. I had only heard it once in my life, after all. Unless you counted the laughing. I turned.

"Good morning, Edward," Rosalie grinned at me. She was alone. I was both relieved and disappointed.

"Rosalie," I nodded at her. "I'm sorry about last night. Are you and Bella okay?"

She eyed me for a minute, and I wondered if I'd left my fly open. I ground my teeth in determination not to look down. Finally she spoke.

"We're fine, although I have to say Bella's jeans didn't quite survive the encounter," she paused and eyed me again. "You know, you were a lot later getting there than I expected you to be. After the way you were panting over Bella last week, I half expected you to meet us at the door."

I cringed inwardly. Rosalie apparently wasn't one to sugar coat things.

"Uh, yeah, er—" I stammered out. She cut me off.

"Not that it matters, of course. Bella and I had a great time. That is, of course, until you mowed us down at the taxi stand." She smirked at me. "Too bad you missed it. Bella looked quite amazing, if I do say so myself. She got all kinds of attention."

The jealous stalker demon inside me bristled at that. I nearly growled at the mental image of Bella being passed from man to man, groped and ogled like she'd been the week before. The image of how beautiful she'd looked last night, even in her anger, sprang up before my eyes, and my blood boiled. Then I sighed. It was my own fault. I'd failed to protect her. I could sense Rosalie watching my reactions, and I tried to play it cool.

"Oh yeah? I'm sorry I missed that."—_Cue cool-guy nonchalant shoulder shrug_—"Maybe next time."

She wasn't buying it.

"Edward, look. I can tell you really liked Bella, okay? I see it on your face. Now I don't know you, but you seem like a decent guy, and Bella could really use one of those in her life. So I'm gonna try this matchmaking thing again, and this time I need you _not_ to fuck it up. Do you think you can manage that?"

"Er—"

"Good. Now Bella and I are heading to the diner for breakfast. Would you like to join us?" She crossed her arms and stared at me, one eyebrow raised, as though daring me to decline.

"Well, uh, I haven't showered or anything, I was just gonna run for some coffee. My brother's still asleep…" I trailed off, neither accepting or declining. Would Bella be okay with me crashing her morning after literally crashing into her evening? Rosalie apparently didn't share my concern. She grinned with an unexpectedly high level of enthusiasm.

"You have a brother? _Really?_ Well, invite him too! I'll go back and tell Bella and give you guys time to get cleaned up. Give us a call in Room 317 when you're ready." She vanished around a corner before I had a chance to respond. I stood in the hall a moment, shaking my head and wondering how things had turned upside-down so quickly.

Then it hit me: I had a breakfast date with Bella!

Emmett wasn't pleased to be hit with ice water again. But when I told him the plan, he got up and got dressed, quickly this time. I really couldn't ask for a better brother.

Then again, the idea of breakfast with the hot blonde he'd glimpsed last night might have had something to do with it.

* * *

**BPOV**

"…can't believe you invited him to breakfast!" I was ranting as I paced the room. "I bitched him out last night, Rose! I was rude and completely dissed him and now I've gotta sit and make small talk over eggs? What were you thinking?"

"Calm down, Bella," she answered as she watched me in the mirror. The prospect of Edward having a brother had her primping like mad, erasing (or at least liberally covering) all traces of the brutal hangover she'd been moaning about since waking. That was one upside to this situation at least; she'd stopped complaining. However, now she was frantically trying to make herself over without being "too obvious." I caught her giving my reflection a once-over as well.

"What?" I stopped pacing and stared back at her.

"Aren't you gonna clean up? I mean, you'd better hurry if you wanna look good. Some lipstick at least. Too bad you can't put your jeans back on. Do you have anything else to wear?"

I looked myself over. Workout pants, tank top, flipflops. Comfy clothes.

"I'm not changing anything, Rose," I shot back. "I packed for last night, and now my jeans are torn and my blouse smells like cigarettes. If this Edward can't handle me in morning-after mode, then tough shit."

She raised her eyebrows and shook her head at me.

"Okay Bells, but I'm telling you, you're gonna wish you'd washed, shaved, primped, and fluffed yourself when you see this guy."

I just rolled my eyes. This Assward had already _(probably)_ groped me without invitation last week like all the other club guys did, kept me waiting most of the night last night, then managed to bruise my ego AND my body as well as destroy pants I couldn't afford to replace. I was pretty sure the points against him would far outweigh his looks or any other redeeming qualities.

The room phone rang, and Rose nearly knocked herself unconscious in her rush to answer it.

"What the fuck was that, Rose?" I laughed at her when she'd hung up.

"I couldn't have you answering it, _asshat,_" she answered, emphasizing her reminder of my verbal tirade the night before. I flinched. "You'd scare them both off with your charming attitude. And I absolutely forbid you to scare them off until I've seen whether Edward's brother is half as hot as he is." She smiled widely and grabbed her purse. She checked the time on her cellphone and then sat down on the bed. "Too soon," she frowned. "The boys are meeting us at the diner, and we can't get there before them, we'll look too eager. Gotta make an entrance." She looked me over again. "Bella, are you sure you don't want some makeup at least?"

"No." I flopped down on the bed and picked up the TV remote. I was fifteen minutes into an _NCIS_ rerun and wondering for the millionth time exactly how old Mark Harmon actually is when Rose finally decided we'd waited long enough. I flipped off the TV.

_Oh yay. The wait was over. Feel the excitement. Yawn._

We got to the diner 10 minutes later, thanks to some incredibly grandma-ish driving on Rose's part. She wanted to be "absolutely positively positive" that we would not beat the guys there. Considering how long we'd waited last night, I had no problem letting them sit. However, the traffic speeding by and horns blaring as we crawled the mile toward our breakfast did nothing to help my mood.

"Why didn't we just walk here?" I grumbled as we walked away from the car. "We could have stalled for time and not taken our lives into our hands."

"Because then we'd be sweaty, Bella. This is _Phoenix,_ remember? Now shut up and smile," she hissed back at me just as the door opened in front of us.

"Hello again, Rosalie." It was the voice from last night. I looked up.

The man who held the door for us couldn't possibly be Edward. There had to be some mistake. Nobody that good looking was ever in Denali, and even if they were, they would certainly never look twice at me. Rose maybe, but not me.

And of course I'd cursed him out, ignored him, and called him a Squiggy. Was it any wonder I was single? I mean, really?

His hair was an odd color, bronze maybe. Or titian—that was the color of Nancy Drew's hair; I'd looked up the word when I'd read my first Nancy Drew mystery and always wondered what it would look like.

Brain tangent. Focus, Bella.

His hair was longish on top, sort of haphazard, standing in different directions with the kind of casual disarray most male models tried to accomplish with copious amounts of gel. Judging by the way his hand—_Oh. My. God. those fingers_—ran through his hair as he held the door for us, I gathered that his disarray was more the result of anxiety and embarrassment.

He was taller than me, taller than Rose even, and as my eyes traveled down from his hair I saw he had green eyes. Really green. Irish, emerald, leprechaun—lucky _(get lucky)_ pot-o-gold green. His jawline could cut glass, and I was suddenly overtaken by the desire to lick it from chin to ear. He was nicely built, not huge or muscle-bound but clearly in shape. His jeans hung low on his hips, and I wondered what it would be like to—

Rosalie coughed and giggled, interrupting my inventory. I realized I was staring. _Holy fuck, let me please not have said any of that out loud._

"Bella, this is Edward. Edward, Bella." I tried to smile, but as I met his eyes again the very dirty thoughts I'd just been having rushed back to me, along with the recollection of my angry cuss-out the night before…and my sloppy drunkenness the week before…and the fact that I was now wearing my most unflattering outfit, no makeup, and flipflops.

I looked down, away, anywhere but at those eyes. I was pretty sure I blushed as well.

_Dear God, why do you hate me so?_

* * *

**EPOV**

"…Edward, Bella."

I barely heard Rosalie's introduction. I was watching Bella. Free of makeup and in the light of day, her skin was almost translucent. Our eyes met, and then she looked away hastily and her cheeks flamed. I wondered if her skin would feel warmer with that much blood pooling in them. Her eyes had registered surprise, interest, and something else that made my body react in strange ways. Now she was blushing, and I wished more than anything that I could read her mind.

Then again, perhaps it was best I couldn't. My own thoughts had me terrified that I would betray myself in a most inappropriate way.

Her hair was up in a long, wavy ponytail, leaving her neck and collarbone exposed. The tank top she wore left most of her shoulders and upper chest uncovered, and I imagined myself tasting her skin, feeling with my lips how soft and warm she would be.

I really needed to stop. Remembering my manners, finally, I reached out my hand.

"Bella," I said, inexplicably happy just to speak to her at last.

"Edward," she said quietly as she took my hand. Just as it had the week before, the circuit between us closed when our hands met, and I was almost humming with the electrical surge. I hadn't imagined it, after all. It was there. It was real.

Bella pulled away abruptly, as though I'd burned her. Had she felt it too? She shoved her hand in her pocket and looked at the ground, her cheeks flushing again. The three of us stood there in silence. I watched Bella as she looked anywhere but in my direction. Rosalie watched us both. The silence continued. Finally Rosalie spoke.

"So, Edward, where's your brother? Didn't he want to come?"

I was about to answer her when Emmett appeared.

"I _always_ want to come," he joked lewdly as he threw his arm over my shoulder and leaned on me a little too enthusiastically. Damn, he was heavy. Bella and Rosalie rolled their eyes at each other.

Great, Emmett the asshole ruins the moment.

"So introduce me, Edward. Where _are_ your manners?" He pushed me aside and strode over to Rosalie, enormous paw outstretched. "I'm Emmett Cullen." She eyed his hand warily, as though afraid he might crush her, then straightened her back and extended her own hand. Nothing intimidated Rosalie, apparently, not even a bear like Emmett.

"I'm Rosalie Hale." She beamed up at him. "And this is my friend, Bella Swan."

_Beautiful Swan._ Her parents got that right.

We entered the diner, Emmett and Rosalie first. Bella passed quietly through the door and I followed. Em and Rose were already deep in flirting; My brother could never resist a blonde, especially one with legs like Rosalie's. They had eyes only for each other, which left me and Bella standing in awkward silence while we waited to be seated. I'd waited days for a chance to talk with her, but now that it was here, I didn't know where to start. I decided an apology was in order, if nothing else.

"I'm sorry about last night," I said. "For, you know, knocking you over and for your jeans and all."

She looked up at me from the corner of her eye.

"Yeah, uh, I'm sorry too," she answered. "About, you know, what I said. It had been a really long night and I was just—never mind. I'm sorry." Her mouth twitched upward slightly, then she raised her eyebrows in an oddly curious expression. "Did you have a nice time after we left?"

_Is she asking if I found someone else? Is she jealous? Curious? Hoping I did? Praying I didn't? Does she care? Am I talking to myself?_

"Er, no, not really," I shook my head. "We pretty much just hung at the bar. I wasn't really up for…dancing or anything. Had a bit too much to drink and just crashed at the room."

"Do you do this a lot? The Thursday night out thing?" she asked. "I mean, it's an odd night to go out, I know; Rose and I made it our regular night because the crowds tend to be lighter, but we rarely see the same people two weeks running, especially around here."

"Not really." I shook my head. "That is, we don't usually do this two weeks in a row; normally we have a guys' night out every few months or so, and in between I pretty much stay home."

"So what's different this time?"

_Danger! Danger Will Robinson! _

I wanted to say _"You are, Bella."_ I wanted to tell her it was all about her. But I knew I'd sound insane, and I didn't want to terrify her anymore than I probably had already. I was saved from having to answer by the hostess, who came over to seat us. She led us to a booth, and Rosalie slid in. Bella made a move to sit next to her, but I saw Rose flash her a warning glare and shake her head. Annoyance flared briefly across Bella's face, but then she sighed and made a move to the other side of the table.

_What Rosalie wants, Rosalie gets._ I wasn't sure if I liked Rosalie's seeming control of Bella or not. It was  
kind of working in my favor, after all, but it made me wonder why Bella put up with it. She clearly wasn't happy about the situation. And I certainly wasn't making the impression I wanted to, if sitting next to me was making Bella so uncomfortable. As I took the seat next to her she hid her face in the menu. Emmett smiled wide as he sat next to Rosalie, who looked at him with clear interest. I rolled my eyes and looked down at my own menu. Next to me, Bella shifted and fidgeted awkwardly.

The waitress came and introduced herself as Lauren; Emmett, being completely devoid of social courtesy, ordered first and, of course, ordered half the menu. I expected that Rosalie, like most of the bombshell types Emmett dated, would settle for half a grapefruit and some ice water; they never seemed to eat much. So I was surprised—and Emmett looked fit to burst—when she ordered the same as him.

"I love a woman who knows how to eat!" Emmett declared. I actually saw Rosalie redden slightly, but she looked him in the eye.

"I need my sustenance," she retorted, raising an eyebrow. "Breakfast _is_ the most important meal of the day, and who knows what sorts of _activities_ I might get up to later…"

Emmett nearly choked. I smirked; it seemed my brother had finally met his match. Bella's head dropped lower into her menu, but I noticed she was grinning slightly as well. Lauren laughed, then turned to me. Her face changed in a way I'd seen too many times before, and I groaned inwardly.

"Well hiiiii there," she drawled. "Seems your friends here are pretty hungry!" She moved to stand next to me, leaning on the back of the booth and hovering suggestively over my shoulder. "And what would satisfy _your_ hunger today?"

I looked to Emmett for help, but he was enjoying my discomfort. Too much.

And then Bella put her hand on my thigh.

* * *

**BPOV**

If Rosalie didn't turn it down a couple of notches, and soon, my eyes were going to roll up into my head and stay there permanently. Clearly she and Emmett were hitting it off; there was more sexual syrup being poured on that side of the table than all the maple syrup being poured in this entire diner. Emmett seemed perfect for her. He was huge and well muscled, but good looking; obnoxious, but in a fun, anything-goes kind of way; and definitely not intimidated by Rose, which most men were.

I was acutely aware of Edward next to me, and I tried desperately to distract myself with the menu. The weird spark I'd felt when we shook hands outside hadn't gone away; if anything, it was intensifying with our close proximity. I sensed him watching me, and the thought of those eyes on me—of any part of him _on me_—had me squirming in my seat.

Then _Lauren_ came over.

Her eyes went to Emmett first; in all honesty, it was pretty hard to miss him. He ordered, and Rose, never one to shy away from a challenge, ordered the same. She and Emmett bantered, and Rose scored with her overt invitation. I loved it when she made the tough guys blush. The waitress laughed and turned to Edward. Even with my face half-hidden in the menu, I could see her eyes—and her smile—widen as she took him in. She glanced imperceptibly at me but seemed to decide I wasn't a threat, because she leaned against Edward's shoulder and bent forward, thrusting her cleavage in his face and cooing in his ear.

"And what would satisfy _your_ hunger today?"

_Oh no she didn't. _

I really don't know what came over me. Edward was clearly uncomfortable and looking to his brother for help, but Emmett was watching the show with amusement as only a brother would. Rosalie was staring daggers at the woman, and her expression _almost_ matched the bizarre anger that was rising up in my own chest.

_Mine. _

I reached over and put a hand on Edward's thigh. _Very high_ on Edward's thigh. The muscles there tensed under my fingers, and I resisted the urge to press my fingers harder into his jeans. Even without the skin-to-skin contact, the heat between us flared exponentially. I leaned toward him, pressing myself against his side. He looked at me with a mixture of confusion, relief, and—_was that terror?_—and I smiled coyly at him.

"You'd better order a big meal too, babe," I said, raising my eyebrow suggestively. "After the long, _hard_ night you had, I'm sure you're starving."

I removed my hand from Edward's leg and leaned back to my original place, firing a clear _Fuck You_ look at Lauren, who quickly stood upright and stepped back.

"I'll have the French toast," I told her, folding my menu and thrusting it toward her. Across the table, Rosalie was grinning at me proudly and Emmett was gaping. I flashed a grin at Rose before turning back to Edward.  
He looked shell shocked.

Oh shit, I fucked up again. I realized I'd just staked a claim on him, mere minutes after meeting him. I hardly knew him and already I was the jealous psycho girlfriend. He folded his own menu and passed it to Lauren. I turned away and looked out the window, wishing I could disappear.

"Uh, I'll have the Bell—er—blueberry pancakes, please."

I looked back at him as she left, and he was grinning crookedly at me. Emmett broke out in a loud guffaw that had heads turning and reached out to high-five me.

"Nice move, Bella!" he cheered. "Better watch out for her, Edward, she seems quiet and innocent, but there's a spitfire under there!"

I blushed again. "Thanks, Emmett." I turned to Edward. He was still smiling, and his eyes were intense.

"Thanks for the rescue," he said quietly. I got lost for a moment in his gaze, which was fixed on me in a way that made my face—and other parts much lower—burn red hot.

"No problem." I ducked my head, breaking the connection. I had to; he was muddling my thought processes with his stare, and I was terrified I would hop into his lap and offer myself to him if I didn't get control. An awkward silence rose before Rosalie stepped in.

"So…Edward, Emmett, what do you guys do for a living?"

A good 20 minutes of small talk followed. Edward, it turned out, was a college professor. He taught film, one of my favorite subjects, but he was on sabbatical now, trying to finish a book he was writing. Emmett, on the other hand, was cagey about his job. He said only that he worked security, and that he traveled a lot.

"A lot?" Rose asked. "What kind of security, like Secret Service or something?"

"Uh, no," he answered. "Private security." He was clearly uncomfortable talking about it. Rose, however, was not one to let something drop.

"Private?" She pushed. "How private?"

I could by tell the look on Emmett's face and the way Edward was shifting in his seat that we were getting into some kind of dangerous territory, so I stepped in. "Probably the kind he can't talk about, Rose," I said, giving her a warning look before turning to Emmett. "Sounds interesting. I bet you've seen lots of great places."

"Er, yeah, we were in Europe for a few months this last trip," he smiled at me gratefully. "I'm off for a couple more days, then I'll be away again for few weeks."

Rosalie looked like she was about to say something, but Lauren returned with our food. I noticed she set Edward's pancakes and my French toast down without making eye contact with either of us. When she left, Edward and I looked at each other, then at my plate.

"Do you think it's safe to eat?" I asked, grinning at him. "I mean, I may have just earned myself a side of phlegm."

"Oh don't worry B," Rosalie chimed in. "I'm sure Edward will share some of his _Bellaberry_ pancakes with you." She and Emmett roared with laughter. Edward grimaced in embarrassment, and it took all my willpower not to kick Rose under the table. Well, willpower and the fact that I was wearing flipflops and would probably break a toe if I did.

"Sorry about that," I leaned over and said quietly to Edward. Without the waitress as a distraction, the increased proximity this time gave me a chance to take in his scent, which I recognized as a mixture of the motel soap and something else, like honey. He smelled delicious. I realized suddenly that I was hovering over him, breathing him in, and I tried to cover.

"Your pancakes do smell fabulous," I said quickly, pulling away and turning my attention to my plate. I was still unsure whether I was willing to risk eating or not. Rose and Emmett were eating and flirting and had apparently forgotten all about me and Edward, for which I was grateful. I surrendered to hunger and started cutting up my French toast, looking for any sign of additional…flavor.

"Bella."

He leaned toward me, his mouth at my ear. I could feel his breath against my skin and it made me shiver inwardly. "I'm willing to share, you know," he murmured. "After all, you risked your breakfast for my safety." With that, he lifted a forkful of pancake and held it between us. I met his eyes, his face still so very close to my own, and opened my lips.

* * *

**EPOV**

Bella's hand on my thigh had been bad enough. When she leaned forward and pressed against me, her breasts making contact with my chest and her hair smelling faintly of strawberries, I nearly came undone.

But when she shut down the waitress with her blatant sexual reference and the implication of more _long, hard nights_ ahead, her lips dangerously close to mine as she said it, my brain melted, my cock stood upright, and it took everything I had in me not to kiss her right then and there and run her back to the motel as quickly as possible.

I _wanted_ this girl.

She'd tormented me again when she'd leaned in to apologize for Rose's teasing. She'd hovered as though she wanted to say more, and her breathing had been off. For a moment I thought she was actually _smelling_ me, and I prayed I hadn't sweated through my deodorant already, but then she'd commented on my food and backed away, leaving me hanging.

I _really, really_ wanted this girl.

Needing to be close to her again, I decided to follow Rosalie's suggestion. I speared a few pieces of pancake on my fork as Bella began slicing up her toast with unusual fervor.

"Bella," I said. Her body stiffened for a second before she looked at me, and in her eyes I could see that she was reacting to me in much the same way as I to her. I leaned close and spoke low in her ear, feeling her slight tremble at my words. Her head shifted slightly, and my lips very nearly grazed her neck. I was overwhelmed by her scent; the strawberries in her hair as well as the unusual floral scent of her skin.  
Then she met my eyes, and her tongue slid out slowly to lick her lips before she opened them to accept my offering.

I had all but forgotten the pancakes. Her eyes moved from mine down to my mouth, then back up again. I leaned closer, and she moved toward me.

"How is everything?"

Bella's head snapped up and away from me, and my heart sank as the moment passed. I pulled away from her and glared up at the waitress. She was smirking at Bella victoriously, and I realized she'd interrupted us deliberately.

_Women could be truly vicious. _

Bella didn't respond; she was staring out the window at something and chewing furiously on the inside of her cheek. Rosalie and Emmett, who had been lost in a moment of their own, resurfaced. Rosalie apparently had a radar for trouble, because she sized up the situation instantly. Her eyes narrowed. Then she put on a sweet expression and looked up.

"Oh yes, Lauren, we're fine!" She answered brightly as she reached across Emmett's breakfast for the ketchup bottle. Before any of us could react, Emmett's untouched glass of ice water tumbled over, soaking Lauren from the waist down. She squealed.

"Oh, Laaauren, I'm sooo sorry," Rosalie cooed with false regret in her voice. She sat back in the booth and started putting ketchup on her eggs. Lauren glared hatefully at her and stomped off.

"Good thing you didn't eat that French toast, Bells," Rose said as she closed the ketchup bottle and set it down. "You might have caught a communicable loser virus."

Bella looked at Rose with a mixture of gratitude and admiration. Emmett and I looked at each other in incredulity. These two were quite a pair.

"That was something else, there, Rosie," Emmett finally said. His voice held a note of awe. "Nice job."

Rose scooped up a forkful of egg before answering.

"Bella's my best friend," she said, matter-of-factly. The girls' eyes met over the table in some kind of female solidarity. "Nobody messes with my girl." She turned and looked at Emmett.

"And if you hope to ever get a piece of this ass, you will never, ever call me Rosie again."

It was official. Rosalie Hale had my brother by the balls. He turned back to his breakfast and ate like a man on a mission. Rosalie went back to her eggs. Bella and I sat quietly and watched them eat, our own appetites gone. After several minutes, she spoke up.

"Um, Rose, I think I'm gonna walk back to the motel. I'm not really feeling much like eating." She turned to me. "Would you let me out?"

"Uh, sure." I slid out of the booth. Bella followed, pulling her wallet from her purse as she rose.

"No way, Bella," Emmett boomed, shaking his head. "This one's on me. It's been a real pleasure meeting you."

"Are you okay, Bells?" Rosalie asked. "You want me to come with you?"

"I'll go with her," I said, finally finding my voice. Bella turned to me in surprise. "I mean, if that's all right with you. I'm finished here." She nodded. I tossed Emmett a grateful look and waved to Rosalie, and we set off for the motel. Outside and alone with Bella at last, I found myself again at a loss. We walked in silence through the diner parking lot. As we turned the corner, Bella stopped.

"What is it you want from me, Edward?" She asked abruptly.

_What?_

"What do you mean?" The aggressive tone of her voice had me flustered.

"I mean, I'm not the kind of girl that guys like you are interested in, okay? Guys like you fall all over Rosalie, not me. I don't know what happened between us at Denali, but you have to know that that girl, that drunken, stupid girl, is not who I am in reality. It was a bad night for me, and I had too much to drink. If I gave you the wrong impression—if you think that coming back to the motel with me means you're gonna get some from the bar bunny, you need to know right now that that's not who I am and not what's gonna happen."

She paused, but I was too stunned by her accusation to say anything.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say that before we got too far away from the diner, and your car, in case you wanted to change your mind about coming with me. I'm perfectly capable of going on alone, so don't feel like you have to stay or anything." She turned and started walking on. I was surprised, but more than anything I was angry.

"Bella, stop." She kept walking, so I caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. She whirled on me.

"Let. Go. Of. Me." Her face was furious, but her eyes were afraid. I dropped her arm and backed off, hands up in surrender.

"I'm not going to hurt you, Bella," I assured her.

She turned and ran, leaving me staring after her, mystified.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! I've been told this story is a "slow burn," so I hope you'll stick with me while the fire's building up. I'm going to try to stick to a Tues/Sat update schedule for now. My thanks to o_Oza, mskathy, KayCannon1, and emmward for being my prereaders! **

**PS: Mark Harmon just turned 61 years old. Can you believe it? Me either. :)**


	3. Chapter 3: Unbearable Lightness of Being

**Chapter 3: The Unbearable Lightness of Being**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

_What the fuck was I doing?_

Sitting there, in the booth, I'd wanted nothing more than to kiss Edward. Be with Edward. I could feel the attraction between us. If there had been even a fraction of that connection present when we'd danced in the club, it was no wonder he'd come back for me. I'd have gone to the ends of the Earth to find that kind of feeling again. I wish I hadn't been so drunk that night. I wish I'd been present in that moment, when we were so close.

Maybe then I would have avoided fucking up so completely now.

Deep down, I knew Edward meant me no harm. It was me, my fears, my—drama, that had me turning on him and hurling accusations.

The truth was, he frightened me.

It had been a long time since I'd taken a real chance on a man. And even longer since the man in question had been a complete stranger to me. Not since high school, when I first met Jacob. I'd played it safe, mostly, since the divorce; the men Rosalie had set me up with had been friends, men she knew and trusted.

Not that men you knew and trusted were any less dangerous. As Rose and I both knew far too well.

Edward was a whole world of unknowns, with the added risk of serious heartbreak. I wasn't sure I could take any more breaking. I wanted to trust him. When he'd asked to walk with me, I'd accepted, relishing the chance to get to know him, away from Rose's prying eyes and ill-timed humor.

But leaving Rose behind, and walking on with a man I didn't know…I panicked. I knew Rose would be fine with Emmett. She could take care of herself.

I just wasn't sure I could do the same.

It wasn't normal to be this dependent on a friend. I knew it. But Rosalie had saved me once, saved me many times over, really, and I always felt stronger, more confident when she was pulling the strings. Left to my own devices, I dangled helplessly. I was already hyperventilating by the time we turned the corner of the parking lot. Suspicion, paranoia, fear…I hurled it all at Edward, completely out of the blue. The bewildered look on his face told me I'd completely misjudged him, that I was actually hurting him with my words.

But when he grabbed my arm and pulled me back…it was too much. Too much, too fast, too real.

I ran.

I didn't stop until I'd reached our room and locked myself in. Leaning breathless against the cold steel door, I let the memories come; they were pounding at the edges trying to get in anyway, and I'd only feel normal again when I'd dealt with them directly.

The tears flowed, and I sank to the floor. It was just as well. Edward was a nice guy. Gorgeous, intelligent, sexy, gentle. He deserved better.

I was damaged goods. No matter how much makeup I put on or weight I lost or ways in which I tried to pretend everything in my life was better now—no matter how much I tried to convince myself and Rosalie that I was over it all and ready to move forward—I wasn't.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Rosalie and Emmett had, of course, hit it off fabulously, and she was pissed as hell that I'd fucked up with Edward. They'd gone back to Emmett's room, apparently expecting privacy, and been surprised to find Edward there alone.

"But how, Bella?" she was asking me for the millionth time. It had been days since my "fucking disaster" as she called it, and she hadn't let it go.

"I told you, I just got a weird vibe, and I couldn't go through with it." That was my story, anyway. I had no intention of telling her what had really happened, and I gathered that Edward hadn't said anything to his brother, either. Emmett was gone now, traveling again, and Rosalie had finally returned to the apartment with a freshly-fucked smile on her face and far too many intimate details about his anatomy.

I, on the other hand, had decided to put on a spectacular mope and had been hiding under the covers of my bed all weekend listening to sad-sack music to really help fill out the mood. Nobody could wallow like me. Rosalie had insisted I shower and rehumanize myself before she would speak to me, so I was clean and decently dressed for the first time since Friday.

"I don't understand you." She was angry and pouting, an odd combination that only she could pull off effectively. "I handed him to you on a fucking platter, twice, and you manage to fuck it up repeatedly! Don't you like him? I saw the fireworks between you two at the diner, don't even deny it."

"I do like him," I answered. "And yes, there was attraction. Serious attraction."

"Then how, Bells? How did it go wrong?"

"It just did, Rose, okay? Drop it, would you? Fuck!" I was tired of being treated like a misbehaving child. She gaped at me in surprise, but I was sick of her, sick of being cooped up in the apartment, sick of Edward, sick of everything. I just needed to get out. I grabbed my purse.

"I'm going out." The door made a satisfyingly loud slam as I walked away from it. It wasn't often I found the nerve to stand up to Rose like that. When it did happen, it was always nice to have it punctuated effectively.

I drove for a while, not really thinking about where I wanted to go. The roads were a mess, as they always were at this time of day, but I opened the sunroof and blasted some angry-chick rock music that had me feeling pretty good after a while. I raged, I rocked, I shrieked…I scared other drivers with my bizarre attempt at air guitar. Eventually, the fact that I had barely eaten in days and had been singing at the top of my lungs for over an hour made it impossible for me to ignore the call of a Wildflower Bread Company shop as I passed by, so I made a U-turn and pulled in. A large soda and a soup-in-a-bread-bowl later, I was happily ensconced in a corner booth reading a discarded gossip rag. I'd gotten quite a kick out of the fashion "don'ts" page and was paging through photos of the latest red-carpet premiere when I saw it.

_Jasper Whitlock arriving at the _Near Dawn_ premiere,_ the caption read. I'd heard of Jasper Whitlock; he was the latest It-Boy in the movies and was usually on the covers of tabloids like these. The latest news was that he'd started dating some fashionista type and that things were serious between them—that is, of course, if you believe in all that celebrity hoopla crap. Which of course I never did.

But it wasn't Jasper Whitlock or his miniscule girlfriend that had my eyes fixed on the picture in front of me. It was the guy behind them. Even in sunglasses and a suit, there was no mistaking Emmett Cullen.

My BlackBerry was in my hand and I was about to speed-dial Rosalie when I heard it.

"Hello, Bella."

_Was no place safe from these guys? Seriously?_

I hurriedly flipped the magazine shut and turned it face down on the table. Then I looked up.

"Hello, Edward."

He was as gorgeous as I'd remembered him. More so, even. I tried to ignore the butterflies that were battering my stomach, but when I met his eyes, they trebled in number and started doing battle.

"May I sit with you for a minute?" he asked.

"Uh," _No-No-No-No-Absolutely-Not-I-Will-Just-Fuck-Up-Again!_ "Sure, I suppose."

He pulled out the chair across from me, and I watched as he folded his long frame into it. There were so many inappropriate thoughts in my head. And so many recriminations. This was a mistake. I knew it. I'd managed to get through entire seconds today without thinking of those long legs. That nice build. Those amazing hands now crossed on my table. That jaw, covered today with a sexy stubble that I wanted to rub my hand _(and other parts)_ against. That crazy hair. Those perfect, soft lips I'd been so close to kissing. And those green eyes, now staring back at me and making my ladywear damp.

I had to resist. _Spine, Bella! You stood up to Rose today! You rocked the angry-chick music! Resist! _  
_Resist!_

"What can I do for you, Edward?" I leaned back against the wall behind me. _Cool. Calm. Not at all about to vomit soup._

"Well, I saw you here, and I wondered if we could talk. You seem to be under a misapprehension about me, and I think I deserve a chance to defend myself."

* * *

**EPOV**

She crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Edward, that's really not necessary," she answered. "I know I acted a bit crazy the other day, and I really just want to forget the whole thing. Anyway, we don't really know each other, so what does it matter?"

Her dismissal of me and of the obvious sparks between us was infuriating. In just the few seconds we'd been near each other I could already feel the attraction, the draw. It was evident in the way she tried so hard to seem calm. She wasn't fooling me. I felt it too, I knew how powerful it was.

"It matters to me, Bella," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "If nothing else, your friend and my brother seem to have made some kind of connection, and it's entirely possible we'll see each other sometimes. We can at least make an attempt to be friendly."

"Fine," she said. "Go ahead then."

I hesitated. I'd promised myself if I ever saw Bella again, I would tell her everything, let her know exactly how I felt, and let her tell me what came next. I had no idea why she'd run from me; I'd spent days trying to get something out of Rosalie when she and Emmett surfaced for food, but it was like talking to a wall. She wouldn't even give me Bella's number.

"First of all, you are under a serious misapprehension about that night at the club," I told her. "Yes, you were drunk. And yes, we danced. But nothing more than that happened. I saw you and Rosalie at Denali when you first came in. I saw you standing in the crowd, and I thought you were beautiful. I wanted to come and talk to you, but I suck at small talk, especially in clubs. I was at the bar when you ordered your first shot, then your second, and wandered out on the dance floor. I watched you get passed around from man to man. I hated it."

Her eyes widened. "You…hated it?"

"Yeah, I hated it. Those guys out there, they were pawing at you, grinding up on you, taking advantage of you. I could see for myself that you weren't into it, you were just—going along with it, I guess. Whatever. At any rate, I couldn't take it anymore. I went out on the floor and when you came to me—and yeah, _you_ came to _me,_" I emphasized, seeing the doubt in her eyes. "I kept you with me, I danced with you, and I tried my damndest to be a gentleman. You didn't make it easy on me, but nothing more happened between us than a few dances. I took you back over to Rosalie and I left when I was sure you would be okay."

I took a breath.

"So when you came back on Thursday…" she trailed off and leaned forward, staring at me curiously. "You were really coming back for me?"

"Yes, Bella, I was." I smiled at her. "Rose told me you would be there. I was looking forward to it all week. I wanted to introduce myself properly, and buy you a drink, or take you to dinner, or…or something. I wanted to talk to you. Really talk. You have to know that I never once thought of you as a _bar bunny,_ as you put it. It wasn't just me looking to get some. I wanted you—of course I wanted you. I've wanted you since the second I first saw you. But I wanted all of you."

My confession startled her. Her eyes widened and she held her breath for several seconds, then she looked down at the table, biting her lower lip. If she didn't stop I was afraid it would fall off. I reached out a thumb and pulled it free from her teeth. Our eyes met, and I trailed my thumb along her swollen lip. My hand lifted of its own accord and rested itself against her cheek. Her skin was as soft as I'd imagined, and the pool of blood that rose up did, in fact, warm it.

"Edward," she whispered. My name, so old-fashioned and formal, had never sounded as sexy as it did coming from Bella's lips.

"Yes, Bella?" My own voice was rough.

"I'm—I'm not good enough for you." My hand moved up her cheek and then down to her neck. Her breathing hitched. I stood up from my chair and sat down next to her on the booth side. I brought my free hand up to cup her chin.

"Tell me you aren't attracted to me, Bella." I could feel her pulse beating hard and fast against my fingers. "Tell me you don't feel something when I touch you. Tell me that—make me believe it—and I will never bother you again."

I stared down at her, daring her to try, afraid she would.

"I can't," she murmured.

I tilted her face to mine, and our lips met at last. Our first few kisses were soft, slow—experimental. Then they grew longer. I twisted my fingers into her hair, and her hands slid up my sides and around to my back. It was only after several minutes of this exquisite bliss that I recalled where we were. I pulled away gently. Her eyes remained closed for a moment. When she opened them, I was surprised to see tears forming.

"What is it, Bella?" I asked, stroking her hair. "Talk to me."

"You…you don't know me, Edward," she said quietly. "We don't know anything about each other."

I beamed at her. "No time like the present." I said, gesturing to the table before us. I rose and returned to my chair across from her. Propping my elbows on the table, I dropped my chin into my hands. "Tell me everything there is to know about Bella Swan."

"Why do I have to go first?" she asked, now grinning back at me. "_You_ kissed _me,_ I think I at least deserve to get a few answers from you before I give up anything else."

"Fine. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about your book," she answered. "What's it about?"

I cringed.

"Well, it's sort of an analysis of celebrity culture in Hollywood," I began. "It's about how the Internet has changed film and created a new paradigm in which films are made or broken based on the quality and quantity of the buzz they generate before they're even released." I shrugged. "At least, that's kind of where I'm going with it."

"How's it coming?" she asked.

"Well, to be honest, it's becoming more a diatribe on the ridiculous concept of fame and celebrity rather than an academic analysis," I confessed. "So it's kind of dead in the water until I can regain some perspective."

Bella blushed slightly. "Does, er…does Emmett help with your, uh, research at all?"

My jaw dropped. This was unexpected. "What do you mean?"

The blush darkened, and she held up the magazine she'd been reading. "There's a picture on page 37," she said sheepishly. "I'd just seen it when you came over here." She handed it across the table. I flipped to the page she mentioned, and sure enough, there was my brother, standing guard behind Jasper and Alice.

"Don't worry, Edward," Bella assured me. "I won't say anything to anyone. I'm just surprised, I guess. I mean, that's pretty cool that he's Jasper's bodyguard, but I could tell at the diner that his job was kind of a secret. I suppose that understandable, given the craziness with the paparazzi and stuff."

I shook my head. "Yeah, it's been a pretty complicated job, but Emmett loves it." I looked up at her. "See, Jasper's an old friend of ours, we kinda grew up together. When things started taking off for him, we were really happy. Then the attention just exploded, and it became too much for him to handle alone. He didn't really know who he could trust anymore. So he called Emmett."

Bella grinned. "Well, having seen Emmett in person, I for one would be terrified to cross him."

I laughed. "Yeah, my brother's a big grizzly bear. But he's a soft touch on the inside. When he cares about someone, there isn't anything he wouldn't do for them."

"Then I hope he and Rosalie work out," she said. "Because Rose needs more people in her life that she can count on." She frowned at the table, then added quietly, "we both do."

I reached over and put my hand on top of hers. "You can count on me, Bella. I will be there for you. Trust me."

Her mouth twitched upward slightly. "I want to. I do. I'll try to believe. It's just…I haven't had a lot of luck with people holding up their end."

She sat silent for a minute, reflecting on something that brought back the sour, unhappy expression I'd seen on her that first night in the club. I was tempted to ask what she was thinking, but she shook it off and lifted her head, smiling suddenly.

"Let's get out of here," she suggested. "I'm in the mood for some fun. Are you game?"

"Uh, game for what?" I asked cautiously, thrown by her unexpected excitement.

"You'll see," she laughed, holding out her hand. "Come on!"

I took her hand and surrendered to whatever wave of inspiration she was riding. Bella was unpredictable, if nothing else.

I liked it.

* * *

**BPOV**

"Oh no you don't!" I shouted, laughing, as Edward tried to overtake me. I was the queen of this track. I swerved in front of him, cutting him off as we flew under the finish line. "HA! I win! Take that, Masen!"

"You cheated," he whined. I laughed again as I stood up from the game console. Edward continued to pout. "Get back in that seat, Swan, I want a rematch!"

We'd been at Skelly's for most of the afternoon, competing viciously at racing, skateboarding, virtual golf, even the old-time shooting gallery. At first Edward had played the gentleman, letting me win, but I'd goaded him into manning up and giving me a real challenge. I loved this place; I was a kid at heart in an arcade, and this one, designed for adults, was my favorite way to spend a night out. Rosalie, of course, hated the games, hated the noise, and so on, so I hadn't been here in forever.

I skipped away from Edward as he reached out to pull me back.

"No way!" I shouted back at him. "Come on, sore loser, I'll buy you a drink." He dragged himself melodramatically out of his console and followed me to the bar. I perched myself on a stool and waved the bartender over. "Diet Coke, please, and…" I looked at Edward.

"I'll have the same," he said, nodding at the bartender. He turned to me. "How did you ever find this place?"

"Uh, well, actually, my ex found it; we used to come here when I was in college." I took a sip of my soda. Memories of Jacob and I playing _House of Dead_ for hours made me momentarily nostalgic.

"Your ex…boyfriend?" Edward asked awkwardly.

"Ex-husband," I clarified. "Jacob. Our divorce was final a few months ago."

"Were you together long?"

"Since high school." I stirred my ice with my straw. "We kind of grew up together. We got married a few years after we graduated, but I guess it didn't take." I glanced at Edward. "What about you? Have you ever been married?"

He shook his head. "No. Came close once, a long time ago. Her name was Tanya. I thought I loved her, thought she loved me, but then I discovered she was having an affair with someone she worked with. I ended it."

"You were sure? I mean, about the affair?" I asked. He looked at me, puzzled. _Why did I have to ask that?_

"Yeah…I mean, yes, of course I was sure," he answered. "I caught them in bed together."

"Oh. Sorry."

"Like I said, it was a long time ago." We sat in embarrassed silence for a few moments, then I reached out for a menu. "Are you hungry? The cheesesteaks here are pretty good."

He put his hand on my outstretched arm. "Bella, why don't you let me take you to dinner," he offered. I was distracted by the feel of his skin on my own again.

"Er, what?"

He chuckled softly, sliding his hand down my wrist and closing his fingers around my hand.

"I'd like very much to take you to dinner, Bella," he repeated.

"I can't go to dinner with you, Edward." I replied.

His face fell. I rushed to explain.

"No! I don't mean I can't go _ever,_ just not now, silly. I'm a mess! Look at me!"

He breathed a sigh of relief. "You look beautiful to me," he said. "But if you'd like, I'll drive you back to your car so you can go home and do whatever you think you need to do, and then I'll pick you up later. Would that be all right?"

"I'd like that." Our eyes met. "I'd like that very much."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Rose was waiting for me when I got back to the apartment.

"Where have you been? I was worried!" She ran over and hugged me. "I'm sorry Bella, I didn't mean to harp on you. I just want you to be happy, you know? I'm really happy with Em and if you were happy too, especially with Edward, then it would be perfect!"

"Take a breath, Rose," I laughed. "Everything's fine. I'm sorry for the way I left, and the way I've been acting. I just…whatever. I'm sorry."

She looked at me quizzically. "Bella Marie Swan, you are keeping something from me! What is it?"

I sauntered past her. This would be fun.

"Do you think you could help me with my hair? I really think I should do something different with it for a change." She followed me into my room, where I began searching through my closet for something to wear. It would not be easy; my wardrobe was mostly old suits, club outfits, and comfy clothes. "Do you have any dresses you think would fit me? My wardrobe is seriously lacking."

"Dresses? Hair? Do you have a _date?_" Her voice lifted several octaves on the last word, causing me to cringe as she clapped gleefully. "Who is it? How did you meet? When did this happen? Tell me!"

"It happened this afternoon, and I met him in Wildflower. And that's all you're getting from me for now." Let her be surprised, I thought. She pouted.

"Belllllaaaaaaaa! No fair! Tell me who it is and I'll let you borrow those new fuck-me boots I bought," she cajoled. I made a show of considering her offer. They _were_ really nice boots.

"Mmmmm…Nope!" I said at last. She exhaled in frustration.

"Fine. Go get a shower, and I'll find you something perfect to wear. But he'd better be at least half as good-looking as Edward, or I'm gonna run him off. I'm not giving up!"

I hugged her as I flew past on my way to the bathroom. "You're the best, babe! And don't worry, I'm sure my date will meet your approval!"

"He'd better," I heard her grumble.

Rosalie came through for me, despite her frustration with my evasive answers. When I'd showered, shaved, shampooed, conditioned, and moisturized myself from head to toe, she came in and helped me blow out and then curl my hair. I wanted it down for tonight. I had visions of Edward running his fingers through it, wrapping it around his hand, using it for leverage in the throes of passion—

"Bella, whatever you're thinking, stop it, your face is flushing and your makeup is going to melt," Rose scolded, snapping me back to reality. She stepped back and admired her handiwork. I stared at my reflection in the mirror. I was wearing one of her dresses, a simple black halter dress with a high waist and a flare skirt that fell just above my knee. My hair draped across my shoulders in curls, and I had on a pair of black heels that were just high enough to flatter my legs without endangering my ability to walk upright.

"I look amazing, thank you." I leaned toward her to hug her, but she backed away.

"No hugging, you'll wrinkle my dress! I haven't even worn that one yet, and I want it to make a good impression on its first night out." She shooed me to my room. "Stay in there until he gets here so you can make an entrance. And for fuck's sake don't sit down!" She pulled the door closed behind her as she left. I stood in the center of my room, trying to figure out how I would pass the time until Edward  
arrived, when my phone beeped.

_I'm on my way up,_ the text read.

"Rose! He's coming up!" I shouted out the door to her. I turned back into my room and tried to calm the sudden pounding in my chest.

Edward was here.

* * *

**Story Notes:**

**Wildflower Bread Company is Arizona's version of a Panera Bread Company or Au Bon Pain, if you're familiar with either of those. It's a café/coffee shop/sandwich shop. I've never been to one, but that's my impression of it from the Web site, anyway. I'd originally used Panera until I did a little research and discovered there **_**are**_** no Paneras in Arizona. They do have soup in a bread bowl on the menu, at least. **

**Skelly's is a made-up version of a Dave & Buster's or other adult game/bar/restaurant. I made it up for the story, although I did spend hours playing **_**House of Dead**_** with my then-husband in a D&B back in the day. I named this one Skelly's after a neighbor from my childhood who owned an amusement rides company, the kind of place that rents out Tilt-A-Whirls and such for local carnivals. **

**I use the term "ladywear" in this story as a tribute to Ninapolitan, who hates another particular word for women's undergarments that shall go unmentioned. **

**Thanks for reading!**


	4. Chapter 4: 50 First Dates

**Chapter 4: 50 First Dates**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

* * *

**BPOV**

I listened at a crack in the door for his knock and heard Rosalie's delighted squeal of "Edward!" as she opened the door for him. I tried to picture him in my head to prepare myself for seeing him again. I wasn't sure where this night would lead; certainly my imagination and its corresponding areas in my lady bits were conjuring up vivid possibilities, but the reality was that I hadn't been in a situation like this in…well, ever. Everything with Jacob had just sort of fallen into place. It was just inevitable that we would get together; after all, we were such good friends. And then it was inevitable that we would get married, because we'd been together so long and we were just so _perfect_ for each other. It was even inevitable that we would break up, because in the end, we grew up into different people.

With Edward, there were many possibilities and no inevitabilities. The only things I could count on were that he would be dazzlingly gorgeous standing out there in my living room and that I would be flustered by him. I took a deep breath, looked myself over in the mirror one last time, and then stepped out into the hallway. He was standing by the door, still talking to Rosalie when I entered the room. Turning to me, he seemed to lose his train of thought, and he smiled at me in a way that had my heart racing and made my mind go blank. Seriously, what was this power he had over my brain? One smile from Edward could completely halt all of my higher brain functions. I walked up to him as though drawn there by some outside force.

"Hello, Edward," I said quietly. I could feel the blush on my face as he continued to gaze at me.

"Hello Bella," he answered. "You look beautiful."

I blushed harder. "Thank you," I whispered. My mind flashed back to our kisses in the bread shop, and my whole body warmed at the memory.

Someone coughed nearby, startling me. I'd forgotten about Rosalie completely.

"Sorry Rose," I grinned at her sheepishly. "Surprise, it's Edward."

"I see that, Bella," she answered, one eyebrow raised. "I was trying to get him to tell me exactly how this came to pass, but he's quite stubborn about keeping it a secret."

I glanced at Edward. He winked at me.

"Right, well, Rose, sorry, no time to talk just now, must be going. Have a nice night!" I laughed and took his arm. Rose stamped her foot.

"Bella! No fairrrr!" she wailed. Edward opened the door for us and I darted out, still laughing, before she could pull us back in for a proper interrogation. He closed the door behind us, and I wrapped my arm around his bicep again, bracing myself for the now-familiar surge as we connected.

"She's going to give me the third degree later, you know," I told him as we walked down the stairs to the parking lot. "Rose is nothing if not persistent."

"Oh, I'm well aware of that," he chuckled. "Now, Miss Bella Swan, are you ready to go to dinner?" He opened the car door for me and paused, waiting for me to get in. I stepped toward the car, but hesitated and lifted my head to his as we stood on opposite sides of the door. He was leaning down against the frame, and in my heels I was high enough that our faces were close. I couldn't wait any longer. I reached out and touched his face, and then closed my eyes and kissed him lightly, wanting to remind myself of the feel of his lips against my own. As I pulled back he moaned softly, and I opened my eyes to find them level with his. The expression on his face was almost tortured.

"What is it?" I whispered. "Did I…do something wrong?"

He huffed in amusement and grinned crookedly at me. "No Bella, you didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why do—did—you look so upset just then?"

"Bella, Bella," he shook his head slowly as he repeated my name. "I'm just trying very hard to be a gentleman and escort you on a proper first date, and you're already tempting me into less-than-gentlemanly thoughts more appropriate to a third or fourth date." The crooked grin returned. "I'm just a fragile man, Bella," he teased. "You have to go easy on me."

I cocked an eyebrow at him. _Less than gentlemanly thoughts, hm?_ Suddenly, going easy on Edward was the absolute last thing on Earth I had any intention of doing. I slid into the passenger seat and he closed the door. As he took his place beside me, I reached out and touched his leg. As in the diner, the muscles there twitched and tightened under my hand, and I had a pretty good idea by now exactly what that meant.

"Well, you know, Edward," I purred at him. "We've danced together, had breakfast together, kissed in a bread shop, and done battle in the arcade. According to my calculations," I moved my hand farther up his thigh, and he closed his eyes and groaned in response. "That makes this our fifth date, so all bets are off."

He reached down and put his hand on mine, stopping my very persistent upward motion.

"Bella," he growled low. "You don't remember dancing with me, and the bread shop and arcade were all part of the same time together, so by my count that makes this our third date, maximum."

I leaned toward him and whispered in his ear.

"That suits me just fine, Mr. Masen."

* * *

**EPOV**

She was going to be the death of me. Plain and simple.

I had come to her apartment tonight determined to treat Bella the way I thought she deserved to be treated, and not the way that those other men in the club treated her, like an object, something to be used and discarded. I wanted to get to know her mind over a nice dinner and intimate conversation. If anything more happened between us, tonight or ever, I wanted it to be special, something with real meaning, not some frenzied, lustful act.

But lust was beginning to win out. She whispered huskily in my ear and squeezed my thigh with her long, slender fingers, and I couldn't help imagining those fingers wrapped around another part of my anatomy, those warm lips against my skin. I closed my eyes again and tried to stifle my erection by mentally reciting baseball statistics.

"Dinner," I croaked out. Bella sat back in her seat, her bottom lip protruding in the sexiest pout I'd ever seen. She pulled her hand from my leg, but I caught it with my own and held it between us. Our eyes met, and I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed the back of it. Her expression softened. I started the car and we pulled out into the night.

When we walked into La Bella Italia, I nodded to the hostess and asked for a private table. She seated us in a round booth enclosed by etched-glass panels that separated us from other patrons. The booth faced a wall of windows overlooking a lake, and I could see the moon reflected on the water.

"Beautiful," Bella murmured as we took our places.

"It's okay," I answered. "But it pales in comparison to you."

She blushed deeply, and the color in her face seemed to light her up from the inside. I wanted badly to kiss her, but I knew doing so would be a mistake. If I kissed Bella again, now, I would never want to stop. It was hard enough just to break eye contact with her. Our bodies were close together in the booth, and I could feel the warmth from hers radiating into my own. I grasped my menu tightly and tried to distract myself with choosing an entrée, but none of the words before me registered in my brain. The server came and went, and we ordered, but I couldn't remember what I'd asked for. I was too focused on Bella. The way she pursed her lips as she read over the menu. The way her hair fell across her shoulders. The glow of the candlelight on her pale skin. The deep V neckline of her dress and how it showed off her delicate collarbones and the swell of her breasts.

"You're staring at me, Edward," she said after several minutes of silence. She was looking at the table as she said it, but then her eyes shifted up in my direction. Her fingers were playing with the napkin in her lap, and I realized suddenly that I was making her uncomfortable.

"I'm sorry, Bella," I replied. "I'm just…you're…" I couldn't think of anything that wouldn't make her feel more awkward or make me sound a bit obsessed. "I'm happy that you agreed to see me tonight."

"I'm happy that you asked me." She stopped and looked up. "Tell me, why do you and Emmett have different last names?"

I laughed quietly. "Well there's a question from out of nowhere," I teased.

"Sorry." She ducked her head. "I was just wondering is all."

"Well, the truth is, we're stepbrothers. His father, Carlisle, married my mom when we were kids. Carlisle was a widower, and my mother and father divorced when I was very young. My father moved to Chicago, and although I saw him from time to time, we were never very close. Carlisle's the only real Dad I've ever known, and Emmett's been my big brother—in all ways, good and bad—ever since."

"You and Emmett seem close."

"We do. Every time he comes home after one of Jasper's movie shoots or press junkets, we always take time to hang out. That's how we ended up at Denali the night I first saw you; it was our 'guy night,' although by the time you and Rosalie arrived Emmett had already ditched me."

I cringed as the words left my mouth. I didn't want Bella to think my brother was a player; she might be less than pleased to have her friend involved with him. If I screwed things up for Emmett, he'd rip my head off. But Bella just nodded.

"Yeah, Rose has ditched me on occasion as well," she commented. Then the realization hit her too, and her eyes widened. "I mean, er, I don't mean to imply that she sleeps around or anything, Rose just knows what she wants and goes after it, I guess."

"I won't tell Rose you said anything if you don't tell Emmett," I grinned. "Sounds like they're made for each other."

"I hope so. Rose is very happy right now, and I'd like to see her stay that way for a while." A shadow crossed her face as she said this.

"How did you and Rose meet?" I asked, wondering again about the odd relationship between them and the way that Bella always seemed to follow Rosalie's lead on things. Bella's face twisted and she shifted uncomfortably in her seat before answering.

"Er, well, we met through my old job. Rose was married to one of my supervisors." She hesitated, and I could see that something about the subject bothered her.

"Bella, what is it?" I reached out and put a hand on her arm. "Are you okay?"

At that moment the food arrived. Bella made a show of patting my hand and smiling at me, then dug into her mushroom ravioli with gusto, effectively ending the conversation for a time. I couldn't help but notice that her squirming had increased the distance between us in the booth; we were no longer touching, and I couldn't feel the heat from her anymore. Confused, I picked at my own dinner—_eggplant parmigiana? I hate eggplant!_—and tried to find my way back to safer topics, but my brain wouldn't let go of the puzzle that Bella presented. We ate in awkward silence.

Eventually, I couldn't stand it anymore.

"Bella–" I started, but she interrupted me.

"So do you have any other brothers or sisters, or is it just you and Emmett?" She was clearly turning the conversation back to me. I wanted to know what had upset her so badly, but in the interest of salvaging our date I let it drop.

"It's just the two of us," I answered. "Although Jasper's like another brother to us. He spent a lot of time at our house over the years. My parents used to joke about putting him on their taxes as another dependent." I hesitated and then plunged forward, hoping that I wasn't hitting another landmine. "What about you, Bella? Do you have any siblings?"

"No, I'm an only child," she replied. "My parents split when I was young too. My Dad's a small-town cop outside Seattle, and my mom lives with her second husband in Jacksonville. You might know her husband, actually—you said you like baseball, right?"

I nodded. "Who is he?"

"His name is Phil Dwyer. He's played mostly minor league, but he's been called up to the majors once or twice."

"I've heard of him. He plays for the Jacksonville Suns, right?"

"Wow, you do know your baseball," she chuckled. "No one I've ever talked to has heard of Phil or the Suns before."

"Well, let's just say baseball is a bit of a passion of mine." I paused. "Actually, _obsession_ is probably the word for it."

"Do you play?" she asked.

"I did, in high school. Blew out my knee sliding into third base my senior year, had to give it up."

"I'm sorry." She raised an eyebrow at me. "Guess we'll have to be careful about how we _slide_ into third base then. Wouldn't want to _blow_ anything."

Suddenly my cock was doing a seventh-inning stretch. Playful Bella was back.

* * *

**BPOV**

I was determined not to let the memories sour my night with Edward. I was grateful for the arrival of the food; it gave me time to process my reactions and push the darker thoughts aside. I watched Edward pick at his dinner, hardly eating, and I was worried that I'd already ruined things. I saw him take a breath and realized he was about to say something. Terrified that he'd want answers I couldn't give, or worse, want to end the date early, I'd interrupted him with small talk—family, sports, and the best distraction of all, sex.

Not that I had to feign interest in the first or the last subject. I really had been curious about his family, and I was very, very interested in sex with Edward.

Baseball, not so much.

Still, it had its uses. Edward's jaw had dropped slightly at my very explicit suggestion, and I congratulated myself on deflecting any potential serious talk for the time being. The server returned, and we ordered coffee and dessert. We bantered back and forth for a bit and then settled into talking about movies. Talking with Edward was fascinating; his knowledge of film history was encyclopedic. We were soon swapping our favorite lines and scenes and trying to stump each other.

"Beautiful, naked, big-titted women just don't fall out of the sky, you know." I was down to Kevin Smith movies; Edward had beaten me on all the Hollywood classics.

"Oh, don't I know it!" he chuckled in response. "_Dogma,_ Kevin Smith." His face broke into an enormous grin and he winked, one hand in a thumbs up and the other pointing at me. The Buddy Christ.

"I surrender!" I laughed, throwing up my hands in defeat. "Serves me right for playing against a ringer."

Our dessert arrived. We'd opted to share a cheesecake. I took a forkful and lifted it to my mouth. It was delicious, and I savored it for a long moment, closing my eyes and letting the flavor slide over my tongue. A groan from nearby brought me out of my bliss, and I swallowed and opened my eyes to find Edward staring at me, his eyes burning. He slowly slid his fork into the cake and broke off another small bite, then raised it before me like he had with the pancakes at breakfast. I parted my lips and leaned in, capturing the morsel and the fork with my teeth and dragging them slowly backward, letting him feel the pull and vibration of my teeth against the metal.

I closed my eyes again and moaned quietly at the taste and the smooth feeling in my mouth, imagining sinful things about both Edward and the cheesecake. I could hear his breathing hitch in response to my foodgasm, and when I opened my eyes this time I had barely a second to register his face close to my own before we were joined. I let my tongue slip out and trace the lines of his lips. They were soft and tasted of coffee. I moaned again at the taste, and he pulled away. I watched, confused, as he broke off another piece of cheesecake and brought it to his own mouth. After his mouth closed over the fragment he leaned toward me again. This time as we kissed, our tongues met. The taste of the cheesecake, mixed with the flavor and feel of Edward's mouth against my own, had me humming with pleasure. I could feel Edward's smile, but I was too busy retrieving the rest of my dessert.

"Bella…" Edward's voice was low and rough. We were both breathing heavily now.

"More," I whispered, and broke away. I reached down and took his fork from him, using it to scoop up another chunk of cheesecake. I fed it to Edward, but I was on him again immediately, letting the fork clatter to the table. I brought my hands to his face, tracing the lines of his jaw and cheekbones as our mouths moved in unison. I gripped handfuls of his hair as I held him to me, determined to draw every last second of ecstasy from this moment. His arms wrapped around me and I was engulfed in his scent and his strength and his warmth.

I felt safe there. Safer than I'd felt in months.

It was some time before my brain caught up with my body and I recalled that we were still at the restaurant. We released each other slowly and unwillingly. Looking up at his hair, now twisted in wild directions by my fingers and hands, I started laughing.

"What?" he asked.

"You have sex hair," I gasped between giggles. He grabbed a spoon and stared at his reflection. Then his face broke into the sexiest grin I'd ever seen. He leaned toward me once more, his breath tickling my ear.

"Next time, Bella, I hope I'll get to see _your_ sex hair."

_Next time?_

_NEXT time?_

_As in, not this time?_

Edward reached for his wallet to pay the check, and I sank back into the booth, deflated. He was clearly taking this gentleman thing seriously. He held out his hand to help me out of the booth, then continued to hold my hand as we walked through the restaurant and out to the parking lot. He held the car door for me and again offered his hand to help me out when we arrived back at my apartment, and then he walked me to my door. Very proper, very gentlemanly. I was torn between being touched at the gesture and wanting to burst with repressed desire. I made one last-ditch attempt to change his mind.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked, then bit my lip again in the way that always seemed to attract his attention. He stared at my mouth, and I waited for him to kiss me again, but he shook his head.

"Not tonight, Bella, thank you," he replied, but his eyes gave him away. He wanted to come in. I could see the heat behind his carefully neutral expression. He lifted his hand to my cheek and wrapped his fingers into my hair. I watched him carefully, not wanting to distract him from the battle he was clearly fighting between what he wanted and what he thought was right, but praying all the while that the former would win out. I watched his eyes darken and licked my lips in anticipation. Suddenly his fist tightened in my hair and he crushed his mouth to mine, kissing me roughly.

It was incredible. It was sexy. It was what I wanted him to do, so very much.

Then it wasn't.

Flashes burst behind my eyelids. The images rose up and overwhelmed me.

_Fear._

_Horror._

_Disgust._

_Blood._

_Pain._

I pulled away from Edward, gasping.

"I'm…I'm sorry Bella…did I hurt you?" His face was horrified and concerned, but all I could feel was the fear. The tears would soon follow. I had to get away from him. I fumbled with the key in the lock and avoided eye contact.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you for tonight." The door opened and I stepped inside quickly. "Good night Edward."

I closed the door, leaving him standing there, bewildered and alone.

* * *

**EPOV**

I wasn't quite sure what was worse, the whiplash from Bella's erratic mood swings or the raging case of blue balls I was developing. Driving home I pondered the mystery of Bella Swan. I realized that despite all the time we'd actually spent together, I knew very little about her life. I knew the barest outline of her family. I knew she was divorced, but that was about it. Did she grow up here in Phoenix? What did she do for a living? It occurred to me then that neither she nor Rosalie ever seemed to be working; Rose had spent days with Emmett before he left. She and Bella regularly went out on Thursday nights and recovered on Fridays. Today was Wednesday, and we'd spent the day together. She hadn't gotten a single phone call or excused herself to check in with anyone in all that time.

Was she rich? Her apartment indicated otherwise, but she drove a relatively new Volvo, and I'd seen Rosalie's BMW convertible. She didn't dress expensively or flash a lot of jewelry; quite the opposite, really. Tonight's dress aside, she was usually understated in her clothes, comfortable but sexy in a natural kind of way.

Very sexy.

Two things I knew for sure: Bella's dark moods and sudden flights were connected to Rosalie somehow, and whatever the story was, it was something that frightened her.

Was that why she followed Rose's lead on everything? Did Rose have some kind of power over her, literally? Bella had spoken of Rosalie interrogating her about us. She'd certainly been direct in her questions to me while I waited for Bella tonight. Rosalie Hale was a woman who got what she wanted.

_Hale. _

The name triggered something in my subconscious, but I couldn't bring it forth. I'd never met anyone by that name, I was sure, yet it was familiar.

The flashing lights in my rearview mirror brought me out of my distraction only to realize I was being pulled over. The speedometer read 20 miles above the posted speed limit. I groaned in frustration—with Bella, with my rotten luck, and especially with myself. Emmett was going to kill me for getting a ticket in his Jeep. He'd made me swear to "treat her with respect" until he got home.

Then I remembered the glasses of wine I'd had with dinner, and I knew I was completely fucked.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Your blood alcohol was elevated, but thank heavens not over the legal limit," Carlisle told me when they released me. He and my mother had come to pick me up and bring Emmett's Jeep home. "This isn't like you, Edward, are you okay? Is there something wrong?"

"I'm fine, Carlisle," I answered, rubbing my face in an attempt to clear the cobwebs. Sitting in a cell for several hours had left me drained. "I had a couple of glasses of wine with dinner, and I just forgot about them, I guess. I was…distracted. I'm sorry you had to come out so late."

"We're always here for you, Edward, you know that. I just hope she was worth the risk," Carlisle was frowning at me. "You realize what they do to DUI offenders here? They post their mugshots on the Internet. Your career would have been over."

"I know, I know, okay?" I was annoyed. I loved Carlisle, but I wasn't a child to be scolded. I'd fucked up. I knew it. I didn't need it pointed out to me in minute detail. We stepped outside the police station and my mother was waiting by the Mercedes. She hugged me with a viselike grip before looking me in the eye.

"Edward Anthony Masen, don't ever do that to me again! You could have killed yourself, or someone else!"

"I wasn't legally drunk, Mom," I sighed, trying to calm her down. "I was on a date and I had some wine, that's all."

I could see the magic word _date_ setting off bells and whistles in my mother's head. Her eyes lit up, all concern over my traffic violations and stupidity forgotten.

"A date? You were on a date? With a girl?"

"Yes, _Mother,_ a girl. I haven't started hitting for the other team," I teased. "Now please stop squealing, this is not that monumental an occasion. I do date from time to time, you know."

"Tell me about her. What's her name? Do you like her? What does she look like? When do we meet her?"

The questions ran together. If I didn't stop her soon, Mom would start planning my wedding.

"Esme," Carlisle cautioned gently. "Let's get Edward home so he can sleep. I'm sure he's worn out after everything tonight."

My mother pouted. I laughed.

"Tell you what, Mom, I'll ride with you and tell you what you want to know, okay?"

She clapped her hands happily and stuck her tongue out at Carlisle, who started laughing as well. He held his hand out for Emmett's keys.

"Good luck, son," he patted me on the back and tried to look serious. "It was nice knowin' ya." He walked away toward the Jeep, still chuckling. I leaned down and opened the door for my mother. She met my eyes and reached a hand up to my cheek.

"I'm still upset with you, Edward," she warned. "Please be more careful. I can't lose you."

"I know, Mom," I answered. "I'm sorry."

She sat down in the seat and started the car.

"Now close the door and get into this car, I've got questions for you!"

If Rosalie's interrogation of Bella was half as intense as my mother's of me, I felt sorry for her. I did my best to answer her questions, but my mind was still full of my own.

* * *

**Thank you for reading! Reviews/comments/hellos are welcome too (hint hint). Thank you to o_Oza, MsKathy, KayCannon1, and emmward for being my prereaders and sharing their thoughts. **

**Story Notes: **

**_Dogma_ was written and directed by Kevin Smith and released in 1999. It stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as fallen angels trying to get back into heaven through a loophole in Catholic dogma. The "Buddy Christ" is a prop used in the film. The movie is dirty and raunchy (like all Kevin Smith movies) and was controversial for its handling of religion for comedic purposes, so if you're offended by that, don't watch it. If you're not offended and still haven't seen it, do, if for nothing else than to see Alan Rickman as the voice of God and Alanis Morrisette as God herself. **

**I have never been arrested for drunk driving, so I don't actually know the procedure. I do know, thanks to some research, that Arizona posts the pictures of DUI offenders on the Internet. Let's just say Edward drew the short end of the stick and got a cop in a bad mood. He _was_ speeding, after all. And maybe, given his raging blue balls and general frustration, Edward didn't exactly grin and bear it when the cop stopped him. But it had been a while since they'd had the wine, and they hadn't had _that_ much. So he was not driving impaired in any way. Just don't want y'all to think this Edward is irresponsible like that. ;)  
**


	5. Chapter 5: You Can Count on Me

**Chapter 5: You Can Count on Me**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

"Bella? Bella!"

I could barely make out Rosalie's voice over the blood pounding in my ears and the sobs that were wracking my body. After closing the door on Edward I'd made it only a few steps into the apartment before my legs had given out and I'd crumpled to the floor.

Would I ever be normal again? Would I ever be able to get control of the fear?

Would Edward ever speak to me again after this?

Time ceased to have meaning. I have no idea how long I remained on the floor. I was still only semi aware when Rosalie finally dragged me to my feet and helped me to my bedroom. Somehow she got me out of my (her) dress and into something that felt more comfortable, though I was too numb to notice what. I laid down on the bed, oblivious to the questions Rose was firing at me or the concern she tried to express with awkward hugs and offerings of tissues and tea. Only one thing finally came through.

"Did he hurt you, Bella?"

I shook my head.

"No, Rose," I whispered. "He didn't do anything. It's me. It's all me."

She sat down beside me on the bed.

"It's not getting any better, is it Bella?" she asked. "Is this what happened before? Is this why you weren't with Edward when I came back from the diner?"

I nodded. It all came rushing back again, and my face screwed up with the force of it as I began to shake and the tears began to fall again. I sat up, and Rose put her arm around my shoulder.

"But he didn't hurt you?"

I shook my head again.

"He was…he was a perfect gentleman," I gasped out between sobs. "We had an amazing dinner. We kissed, a lot. It was…perfect."

"Then what happened?"

"I just…I wanted him to come in! I wanted him to stay, but he said no. But then…then he…he kind of gave in, and we were kissing again, but he had my hair in his hand,…and it was good Rose, it was so good! And I wanted him so much…"

I caved in on myself as I remembered.

"It all came back, Rose. And he was still holding my hair, and I felt trapped. I had to escape. I ran. Again! I ran from him outside the diner too. We never made it past the first block. I ran away. And tonight I just had to get away from him before he saw, before I fell apart in front of him!"

Rose put her other arm around me, and I dropped my head to her shoulder as I broke down yet again. She held me as I let it out. Eventually we lay down together in the bed. There was no way I could sleep alone tonight, she knew.

"It never comes back on you, Rose," I whispered at some point later in the night. "Why? Why does it affect me so much and never affect you? Am I just weak?"

"You're not weak, Bella." Her voice was stern. "Don't ever, ever say that again. You and I, we are different people. We handle things differently. That's all. You keep things inside. You dwell on them, relive them, feel them over and over."

She turned on her side, leaning her head on her hand and looking straight at me.

"You internalize. I'm the opposite. Do you think all the drinking and dancing and sex is really just about having a good time? It's not. It's about forgetting. It's about drinking myself into oblivion so I forget all of it, and then finding someone to fuck to prove to myself that I'm not broken."

She looked down at the mattress between us.

"I'm not proud of the person I've been these past few months. You need to know that. I've whored myself around and dragged you all over the place and counted on _you_ to keep _my_ life in order. I tell you I can take care of myself, but that's only true because I have you in my life to follow after me, picking up the pieces I scatter around. It's only because I have you there to come and get me when I wake up in another unfamiliar bed. I couldn't get through the days without you."

When she looked back up at me, I could see tears in her eyes. I was stunned. Rose never cried.

"I'm sorry, B. I'm sorry that I put so much weight on you. So much of my baggage. You're carrying the load for both of us. And it's dragging you under."

I opened my arm to her, and she curled into me, resting her head on my shoulder. I reached out my other  
arm and turned off the light.

"We'll get through it, Rose," I murmured as we drifted off to sleep. "Both of us."

The nightmares came, as they always did. The paneled walls. The fireplace. The smell of booze and sweat.

_We saw you…_

The hot breath in my ear. The fear in Rosalie's eyes.

_Do it!_

The taste of blood.

_Fucking whores! _

The blackness.

Rose shook me awake, and then it was her turn to hold me again. We passed the night that way, wrapped together in my bed, fighting off the very real demons we'd faced together not so very long ago.

All I could hope for was time. Time to heal. Time to get my life back.

Time to become the woman Edward deserved.

I hoped I would get the chance.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

In the morning we disentangled ourselves, and Rosalie stumbled, half awake, to her own room as I got up and prepared to face the day. I had to put some time in on a Web site I'd been hired to revamp. I'd been putting it off for days while dealing with my emotional meltdowns, and now the deadline was looming. I sat down at my desk and booted up my laptop. I worked for several hours. Rosalie woke up again and we talked briefly, but per her usual way of handling unpleasant things, she'd left quickly to go shopping. Retail therapy was her panacea. I continued working into the afternoon, but eventually my mind began to wander back to the previous night, and the entire previous week, and I knew it was hopeless to continue. I went back into the kitchen to pour myself some cereal.

It was Thursday. I had to face the very real possibility that Rosalie would still want to go out tonight. I would try to talk her out of it, try to convince her to stay in, or maybe go somewhere else, but I knew my friend better than anyone. Given her confession last night, I knew she would want to face her demons head-on in the usual way. If we went to Denali and Edward was there, I wasn't sure I could handle it. How could I face him after last night?

I hadn't even heard from him.

_Where was my phone?_

I dropped the cereal box onto the counter and went in search of my purse. At last I found it under an end table, where it must have slid or been kicked when I was in my nearly comatose state. I pulled it open and took out my BlackBerry. The battery was dead. I raced back to my bedroom for the charger and plugged it in next to me as I sat down to eat. As the phone began to power up, it started vibrating frantically.

5 New Messages  
3 Voicemail Messages  
6 Missed Calls

One of the missed calls was from my dad. Charlie hated talking to machines. He rarely talked to people.  
One of the messages was an E-mail from a client.

The rest were from Edward. Three voicemails, two hang-ups, and four texts. I dialed the voicemail code and pressed Send. After the standard greeting, the messages began to play.

_"Bella, It's Edward. I don't know what happened tonight, but I wanted to be sure you're okay. If I did something to upset you, I'm sorry. I'm home now, I had a little trouble along the way but nothing to worry about, I'll tell you about it the next time I see you. And I hope that will be soon, Bella."_

The message was time stamped 3:15am. What could possibly have happened that he took 4 hours to get home? The second message began.

_"Bella, It's Edward. I know it's early, but I'm really worried about you. I had a wonderful time last night, and I thought you did as well, at least until—well, you know. I'd like to see you this morning if you're up for it. I think we should talk."_

The time stamp said 7am. Did he sleep at all? The last message started to play.

_"I'm going crazy here, Bella. I promise I'm not normally the stalker type, but I need to see you, I need to know that I didn't hurt you last night. Please call me, or I might have to camp outside your door."_

Timestamp was 2pm. I looked at the clock. It was after 3. I disconnected the voicemail and opened the messages folder.

_3:20am Left you a voicemail. I'm home. Are you OK? _  
_9:27am Hope you slept well. I'd like to see you. Please call when you can._  
_12:52pm If you don't want to talk to me, I'll understand, but please let me know you're OK._  
_3:04pm I'm coming over. _

Oh, no. No no no. I raced to the bathroom to make myself presentable. I washed away the traces of makeup still streaked down my cheeks. I brushed my hair into a ponytail and scrubbed my teeth. Looking down at myself properly, I realized I was still wearing the mismatched pajamas Rose had dressed me in last night.  
It was too soon. I wasn't ready to have this conversation with Edward. I barely knew him.

In my bedroom I pulled on jeans and a fresh shirt and applied a liberal quantity of deodorant.

He wouldn't really come back here so soon. Would he?

There was a knock at the door.

He would.

So much for time.

* * *

**EPOV**

I hadn't slept much.

Something was up with Bella, and I had to know what it was. The best I'd come up with was that she was some kind of employee of Rosalie's, and that's why she jumped whenever Rose told her to. It was the only thing that explained her seeming subservience to Rose and the question of how she made a living. But why? And if Rosalie could afford to hire someone to be her—what, friend? Indentured servant?—why were they living in a cheap apartment? And none of this explained Bella's erratic mood swings or the fear I'd seen more than once in her eyes.

I felt like a stalker, calling and texting so many times, but I had to know that I hadn't hurt her in some way. And I had to know that whatever had happened between us last night hadn't caused her any trouble. If I'd left her to face some kind of "Wrath of Rosalie" scenario alone, I would never forgive myself. But the day passed and Bella never called, never answered my texts. I got increasingly frustrated and worried. I even called Emmett in L.A. to see if he'd heard from Rosalie, but he hadn't.

As the day wore on, I hit my breaking point. I had to know she was okay, even if she wouldn't speak to me. I had to see her for myself. I drove to her apartment and knocked on the door.

"Go away, Edward." The voice came through the door. She wouldn't even open it.

"Bella, please. Let me see you. Let me see you're okay."

"I'm fine, Edward. I'm…I'm fine."

"Bella, please," I begged. "Please open the door. Talk to me. Let me in."

Silence.

"Please."

More silence. I waited, hoping, but the minutes stretched, and finally I surrendered. I turned to go. I'd only taken a few steps when I heard her voice.

"I'm so sorry Edward."

I went back to the door.

"Bella, I don't know what happened, and I don't want to push you into doing or saying anything you aren't ready to say. But please, let me come in. Let me see you. If I hurt you, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just, I wanted you so badly last night, and I was trying so hard not to push—"

The door opened and she stood there, her face streaked with tears.

"Bella—"

She cut me off.

"It wasn't you." She was holding onto the door so tightly her knuckles were white. "I told you before, I'm not good enough for you. You don't know me, Edward. There are things—I'm just not sure I'm capable of being with anyone. Especially you."

"What does that mean, '_especially me'?_"

"You're a good man, Edward. You deserve someone whole. Someone who can be in the moment with you and not get lost in her own fucked up head. I'm not that person."

I had to move fast. Bella was saying good-bye. If I didn't move now, I might never get the chance again.  
"I know what's going on with you and Rosalie, Bella."

Her eyes widened in shock and her face paled.

"You—you what? How?"

"Let me in. We need to talk about this."

She stepped back, clearing the way. I entered the apartment, careful not to touch her as I passed. I didn't want to spook her again. She gestured toward the living room sofa as she closed the door. I sat and waited for her to join me. She sat in an armchair opposite me, the coffee table between us. An awkward silence fell, then I lunged ahead.

"I figured it out, Bella. This morning, while I was waiting for you to call, I thought about everything, and I know now what's going on. But I have to ask, why? Why do you stay with her? Can't you do something else?"

"It's complicated, Edward. Rose helps me through the worst parts. She understands better than anyone else could."

"But she's using you! How can you be loyal to someone who sees you as nothing more than a pet? A possession to be used or disregarded at will?"

She jumped to her feet, anger flashing in her eyes.

"You don't know anything about her!" she snapped. "Rosalie saved my life. If I have to live this way for a few more months to make her life better, I'll do it. She's my friend. I don't know how you found out or what you know, but I can guarantee you haven't heard the worst of it. Rose and I went through hell together, and we're still clawing our way out of it. And no one, especially not some wanna-be knight in shining armor, is going to sit here in my house and run her down. Get out."

I didn't move.

"I'm sorry, Bella. I didn't know you felt that strongly about it. I just, I don't see why you can't make your living doing something other than being Rosalie's servant. You're bright, educated, there must be something else…"

Her eyebrows knit together in a puzzled expression.

"What are you _talking_ about?"

"You working for Rosalie. I mean, that has to be it, right? You're never working, you're always with her, and you seem to do whatever she asks of you…"

Bella threw her head back and laughed.

"You think I work for Rose?"

She laughed harder.

"You—you think I'm what, her lady in waiting?"

More laughing. I was starting to feel like a colossal idiot. Whatever the real story was, clearly I had it wrong. It took several minutes for Bella to settle down. She sank back into her chair and smiled at me.

"It's very noble of you to want to rescue me from indentured servitude, Edward." She snickered. "But I make my living in a much more modern way. I freelance." She waved an arm toward the dining room. Two desks facing each other filled the space, one covered in papers and a laptop, the other in a fine layer of dust.

"Two guesses which is mine," she joked. "Seriously, you thought I was like, what, Rose's paid companion?"

I frowned at her.

"Something like that. Look, I still don't understand. Why do you always follow her lead? It's like she has some power over you. You never seem to be happy doing the things she asks of you, yet you do them anyway."

"I don't know what you mean." She wouldn't look at me as she said it, and I could tell she was lying. She knew exactly what I meant.

"Fine. Pretend you don't understand. I'll give you the perfect example: your Thursday night at the bar. Do you actually enjoy going, or are you there because Rose wants to be? What about breakfast at the diner that morning? Did you really want to go, knowing Emmett and I would be there, or did Rose drag you from the hotel? I've seen your face, Bella, and you're hard to read a lot of the time, but it's not hard to see when you're unhappy."

She shook her head. "Rose doesn't make me unhappy, Edward. I do that to myself." She stood again and started pacing the room. "See, I'm not—I've never been a particularly social person. I grew up young. My mother is flighty and a bit scatterbrained, so I had to run the house to make sure that the bills got paid and the fridge was stocked. She took classes and tried new business ventures all the time, but she bored quickly and it would be up to me to clean up the messes she left behind. While she was out 'experiencing the world,' as she called it, I did my homework and cooked dinner and cleaned the house. I never had many friends, especially not girl friends, and I never really dated anyone until high school."

She stopped pacing and looked at me.

"I met Jacob my freshman year. He was a good friend. His dad was in a wheelchair, so he understood what it was like, having to take care of a parent full-time. Having to be the adult. We started spending time together, at his place, at my house, and we were alone a lot. One thing eventually led to another, and we were dating. We stayed together throughout high school. He was still my only friend, so I leaned on him for everything. While I went to college, he started working as a mechanic for his friend, Sam Uley. Sam owned a chain of garages, and Jacob was hoping that he might someday run one of them."

She paused. "Is this boring you?"

"Not at all," I answered honestly. I was finally getting a glimpse into Bella's life. I was fascinated, although I still didn't see how this related to Rosalie. I waited for more. She took a deep breath and continued.

"Jacob proposed to me the summer before my sophomore year of college. We were married that Christmas. We struggled to make ends meet, and we both still had our parents to contend with as well. Jacob's dad, Billy, died my last year of school. Jacob inherited the house, so we moved in, but Jacob wasn't the same after that. I got my degree and started working for—a local company."

Her hesitation raised flags in my mind, but I kept silent.

"I rose up through the ranks and my salary went up. Jacob up and quit his job and decided to go to school too, now that I could afford to support him. I was fine with that. But he dropped out after a few semesters. He'd hang around the house all day and go out at night with his buddies, sometimes all night. I'd come home from work, cook dinner for him, and he wouldn't show up. It was like taking care of Renee—my mother—all over again. In the meantime, Renee married Phil and started traveling all over to follow him to his games. As hard as it had been to live with her, it was harder not having her around. She had always been more of a friend to me than a mom, and the only female friend I'd ever had, so losing her company made it even harder to deal with Jacob's sudden 180-degree change. That's when I met Rosalie."

She took another breath. "Can I get you a drink? Bottle of water maybe?" She walked toward the kitchen.

"Sure, that would be great," I answered. She grabbed two bottles from the fridge and handed me one before opening hers and taking a long pull from it. I got the sense that Bella didn't usually talk this much. She came back into the living room and went on with her story.

"The company I worked for was predominantly male. I was an anomaly, a woman with brains and ambition who wasn't just pouring coffee for the bigwigs. I eventually ended up working in the corporate headquarters under the supervision of the CEO. Basically, there was him, one of the vice presidents, and then me. I'd accomplished a lot in a very short few years, and I was proud of myself."

She smiled to herself.

"It sounds like you did very well," I offered. I didn't want to pry, afraid I would stop her from telling the rest. The secrecy about her work—what she did and where—still churned in my mind.

"Still, despite my success, I was dealing with a lot of shit there because I was female. The other women in the office were executive assistants and such, and most of them assumed I'd slept my way to my position. I worked closely with both the CEO and the VP, and they were usually fine to deal with, but occasionally if they'd been out with important clients or something, they'd come back to the office drunk after lunch. Sometimes, they'd get…well, let's just say they were assholes and leave it at that."

She frowned for a moment, then shook it off.

"Anyway, I'm a big girl, and I'd dealt with my share of chauvinistic asses all the way up the ladder. When things got really out of hand, I'd have the CEO's assistant cancel all their afternoon meetings and I'd send them home. _Creatively,_ of course. As a woman, I'd never _presume_ to tell them what to do."

She rolled her eyes at me and grinned. I chuckled.

"That's how I met Rosalie. She was married to one of them, and one time she came to pick him after a particularly quote-unquote 'important' meeting. After that, when she had some time, she and I would do lunch or go shopping together. Eventually we got close, and we started doing girls' nights on a semiregular basis."

She shook her head.

"Rosalie was dealing with a lot of the same crap from her husband as I was getting from Jacob, but worse. Rose knew her husband was seeing someone else, possibly more than one someone else, and she was fed up with it. So we started going out. We'd hit the clubs and crash in a hotel room or take weekend girls' trips just to get away from everything. It was great. We clicked in a lot of ways. Rose doesn't let anyone or anything get her down. She lives the way she wants to live. I wanted to be like that. I'd been paying dues my entire life. Rose was like the big sister I never had. She helped me make myself over. New clothes, new car, new hairstyle, the works. We started working out together too, and I felt really good about myself for the first time in my life.

"In the end, Jacob got jealous. He assumed I was sleeping around, since I was disappearing overnight and changing how I dressed and acted. I told him he was being ridiculous, but he waved my cellphone bill at me and told me he'd 'checked up' on the numbers and knew I was 'banging the boss'—he accused me of sleeping with Rose's husband to get my position. See, Rosalie's phone was listed in her husband's name, so all those calls, well…."

She shrugged.

"I moved out that night. Rose offered me a room at their house—their estate, I should say—and I lived with her and her husband for several weeks. Rose and I continued going out, but since I didn't have to go home, we'd just have her driver take us and then we'd go back to the estate afterward."

Bella stopped then, and looked at me with an odd expression. She seemed to be debating something.

"So that's how we met," she said at last. "Rose took me under her wing and gave me a new life. When her marriage finally fell apart"—Bella's face twisted briefly—"we got this apartment and started over. I follow her lead because Rose is more outgoing than I am, and left to my own devices, well, I'd probably never get out of bed. End of story."

A very quick, abrupt ending to a long, albeit clearly incomplete, story.

"What about your job?" I asked.

"Oh. Er…"—cue the now-familiar dark look on Bella's face—"I quit." She jumped up from her chair. "Oh my God, it's late! I have to get back to this project I'm working on." She looked at me expectantly, and I realized I was being dismissed. Her haste to get me out the door only reinforced my suspicions that there was more going on here. Clearly, I wouldn't be hearing it today.

"I'm sorry about last night, Edward. I really am."

"Well, I'm sorry for going stalker crazy on you, and for making assumptions about Rosalie."

She smiled at me. "That was definitely an interesting scenario you'd created there. I hope you didn't share those ideas with Emmett, or he'll be wondering what kind of dominatrix he's gotten himself involved with."

I laughed. "Knowing Emmett, the idea of Rosalie in leather with whips would probably have him on all fours and begging."

"Um, okay, ew. That is NOT an image I needed in my head, Edward!" She laughed with me, and I hoped this was a sign that we were at least back on level ground. I walked over to the door, and she followed. We stood close together just inside the doorway, and the proximity to her sent my nervous system into overdrive. I gazed down at her. She was staring at the floor, trying to hide her reactions from me, but I could hear her breathing speed up, and there was more color in her cheeks. I wanted badly to put my arms around her and hold her, but I was afraid of bringing the fear back into her eyes. Whatever remained of Bella's story, I knew it was bad. Nothing she'd told me thus far would have sparked the kind of panic that had her running from me at every turn.

"Thank you for talking to me, Bella," I said instead, opening the door. "I hope to see you again soon."

"Thank you, Edward," she said quietly, turning her face up to mine and meeting my eyes. "Thank you for not giving up on me."

I smiled at her. "I promised you, Bella. You can count on me."

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	6. Chapter 6: Chasing Amy

**Chapter 6: Chasing Amy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

* * *

**BPOV**

After Edward left, I felt a bit better, having imparted at least some of my history to him without revealing anything that would have either of us running for cover. I knew he would have more questions for me eventually, however. I was a terrible liar in general and no better at hiding things. Every time I'd glossed over a detail or skipped ahead past some event I didn't want to mention, Edward's eyebrow had lifted just enough for me to know he'd caught it. He was too perceptive, too aware of—well, everything.

I had to talk to Rosalie, and soon. Fortunately, she returned from her shopping spree barely an hour later, laden down with bags galore of things she probably didn't need and couldn't actually afford.

_Not yet,_ anyway. Old habits die hard.

"Bella!" she smiled at me. "I found the most perfect pair of shoes, so of course I had to find a great outfit to go with them. And then, you know, they were having a sale at Saks, so I simply couldn't resist wandering through…"

"Rose," I interrupted. "Edward was here."

She stopped and gaped at me.

"Are you okay? What did he say? What did you tell him?"

"You'd better sit down, Rose." I took some of the bags from her and together we piled them in the hall, then we sat on the couch. Rose squinted at me sternly, eyebrows furrowed.

"You didn't tell him. Please tell me you didn't."

I shook my head.

"No, I didn't tell him. But I told him a lot, Rose. I told him about Jacob, about the divorce. I told him about how we met."

Her eyes bugged out. "Bella!"

"I know, Rose. I didn't tell him specifics. No names, nothing about the company. I only told him I quit my job after you and your husband split."

I looked down at my hands.

"But I'm worried, Rose. Edward's a smart man. He knows I didn't tell him everything, I could see it on his face. I don't know how long he'll accept what I've given him before he'll start asking for more."

She stared at me for several moments. I blushed, knowing she was probably angry I'd said as much as I had, and I'd deserve her anger. Too much information could cost us both.

"You'll just have to put him off, Bella," she said at last. "Distract him with sex, with idle chitchat, with whatever form of feminine wiles you can come up with. That's all there is to it. It's just a few more months. A few more months and we can start living again. I need this, Bella. I need to get through this and collect what's coming to me. I deserve it. _We_ deserve it!"

I sighed. "Okay, Rose."

She patted my leg. "Come on, Bells, let's go out. I'm missing Emmett like hell and you need to get out of your head for a while. Let's get dressed up and go get our drink on."

Surprising myself, I didn't argue with her. Getting out of my head actually sounded like a good thing.

"Denali?" I asked.

"You know it!" she laughed, heading for her bedroom with her bags. "And make sure you look hot, babe, I am in a _mood_ to cause some trouble tonight!"

If only I'd known exactly what kind of trouble lay ahead.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

We'd been at Denali for a couple of hours. I'd wanted to go somewhere—anywhere—else, but Rose had insisted.

"We have the best chance of getting our drinks bought _for_ us at Denali!" she'd argued. "Ben always lets us in for free, Eric comps us all the time at the bar, and you _know_ we can work the Lennys and Squiggys for some drinks!"

For someone who'd spent her afternoon squandering her money on accessorizing a pair of shoes, Rosalie had suddenly become quite the frugal consumer. I pointed this out to her.

"But Bells, don't you see? That's exactly my point! We pay for the goods to make ourselves attractive. Guys buy us drinks. Because Denali is always full of tourists who see us one week and are gone the next, we can reuse our purchases for maximum benefit with minimal outlay. It's simple business!"

I couldn't argue with logic like that. Assuming that qualified as logical. We went to Denali. Because Rosalie was happily involved in her long-distance flirtation with Emmett, she was less interested in prowling and more focused on dancing and drinking, which was a nice change and a relief for me. I loved dancing, when I didn't have to do it alone or with strange men's erections up my ass. Rose and I tossed back beers and shots (and no, we didn't pay for them) and let the music take over. As the dance floor filled in, we were forced to dance closer and closer to each other to avoid being elbowed and stomped on.

I was drunk. Rose was drunk. And we were both missing our respective men and sexually frustrated. Our  
bodies were close and hot. The music was pounding. I glanced up at her, and she was looking at me _that way_. It had been a long time since I'd seen her look at me like that. Not since…before.

Kissing Rose was always a fascinating experience. Women's lips just feel different, somehow. Maybe it's the absence of stubble. Maybe it's just the whole "fairer sex" thing. Or maybe it's simply because women know how women like to be kissed. The first time had been shortly after I'd left Jacob. It had taken me completely by surprise when, during another of our nights out, Rose had reached out and pulled me to her. And it had been a life-altering shock when I didn't pull away but instead had returned the kiss with the same fervor.

I'd never considered myself gay. Or bisexual. Or whatever I was. But I liked kissing Rosalie. My entire body had reacted. I'd wanted much, much more from her than I would ever have expected.

From then on we'd flirted and kissed and used the thrill of the experience to tease the guys on the dance  
floor and fulfill whatever biological urges we had.

And on one very drunken, very crazy night, we had gone much further. We'd been practically making out all night. By the time we'd stumbled through the door of my room, we were clawing at each other's clothes and alternating pinning each other up against the walls. I'd never appreciated before how amazing breasts could feel. Or how soft women's skin is. Having breasts of my own and the same kind of skin, I'd simply taken them for granted. Taking care of another woman, and being taken care _of_ by another woman, in the ways I knew I liked to be cared for, teased, loved—was overwhelmingly erotic.

In the morning, we'd woken naked, hungover, and curled together. But it hadn't been awkward at all. It hadn't changed much of anything between us. It wasn't anything serious. We both still wanted men. It became just another facet of our friendship, something else we shared only with each other.

And then just days later, things had taken their hurricane spiral into hell.

Now, months later, I found myself again engulfed in the taste of Rose's mouth, the scent of her designer perfume, the feel of her hair in my face. I'd missed this. I'd missed this connection between us. It was like a piece of our friendship had been misplaced somewhere along the way, and we'd only just happened upon it and put it back in place.

I pulled away from her and met her eyes. She smiled at me and touched my face, then brushed my hair behind my ear before leaning in again for more. I could hear the hoots and hollers from men around us, but I focused on Rosalie. We moved closer and kept dancing while we pressed soft kisses and slid our tongues together slowly.

"Bella?"

The sound of my name brought me out of the moment. I pulled away from Rose and turned toward the voice.

Edward was standing there.

* * *

**EPOV**

This wasn't happening. Was it?

Suddenly it was three years earlier and I was once again walking into my bedroom to find Tanya and her lover. The revulsion and rage flooded my senses. I could taste the metallic flavor of it on my tongue, hear it ringing in my ears and see it flashing red before my eyes. That night had been the single worst moment of my life. It had ended my marriage and changed my entire world view on love, fidelity, sex…everything. I'd thought nothing could ever affect me the same way again.

Seeing Bella tongue-to-tongue with Rosalie proved me very, very wrong.

Don't misunderstand me—I'm a man. It was fucking hot to watch them, and I'll admit that I did, in fact, stand there several long seconds, half in shock and half in testosterone heaven.

But even as my cock saluted their sexual liberty, my mind was reeling.

Bella had kissed me like that just last night. I could still remember the feel of her lips and her tongue, the flavor of her mouth and skin. I could hear the moans in the back of her throat as she'd let her body take control and meet my passion with her own.

Now here she was, her beautiful body and soft lips twisted around none other than my brother's girlfriend.

"Bella?"

I couldn't help but notice the dreamy, aroused look on her face as she pulled away from Rose. Or the look of sheer horror that replaced it as she realized I'd seen everything. A look far too similar to the one Tanya had worn when I'd burst into our bedroom to find her sucking what's-his-name's cock.

"Oh my God…." Her hand flew to her mouth. "Edward…"

I turned away and pushed roughly through the crowd. I'd seen enough. Too much.

I'd wanted to protect her from the men who wanted to use and discard her. But how did I ever hope to compete with a woman? With Rosalie? Was it even possible?

One thing I knew for sure. This wasn't the first time they'd been—intimate. That was no awkward first kiss or experimental drunken fun.

I threw myself behind the wheel of the Jeep and slammed the gear into reverse. I shifted into drive and hit the gas, causing the tires to spin for a second before they caught the asphalt. As I pulled out, I could hear Bella calling me.

I didn't stop.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I wasn't sure what bothered me, exactly.

I had never thought of myself as homophobic. I wasn't opposed to same-sex couplings in general, and in my saner moments the memory of Bella kissing Rose was a complete turn on. The very idea of Bella with another woman was almost enough to have me running to the shower for some private relief time.

But inevitably, just as I would begin to actually enjoy the idea, the jealousy would rear its head, accompanied by an irrational feeling of betrayal. Irrational because, although we'd clearly started some kind of relationship, I knew that Bella and I had not made any commitments or promises to each other that her…interaction…with Rosalie violated. Perhaps it was less about Bella making or breaking promises and more about her failure to tell me the full extent of her relationship with Rose.

I understood now why she'd glossed over certain parts of that story. How does one come out to a prospective partner and say, "oh, by the way, sometimes I make out in public with my same-sex roommate"?

Then again, maybe my reactions were more about my own emotional baggage. Tanya truly had betrayed me, betrayed the love and fidelity I'd given her, betrayed everything we'd ever stood for or meant to each other. Discovering her affair had crushed me. Bella was the first woman I'd wanted to trust with my heart in a long time.

I waited that whole night in my apartment for Bella to call or text or, better yet, show up at my door and call me out for being judgmental and for not keeping my promise to be there for her, no matter what. I'd chased her every time she'd run from me. I thought—believed, hoped—that she would do the same now.

I never heard a word. Nor did I hear anything for the week that followed.

Eventually, I had to admit the truth. Bella wasn't coming.

Sometime into the second week, Emmett called from London.

"Hey bro," he said when I answered. "What the fuck is going on there?"

"Nice to hear from you, Em," I responded, annoyed at Emmett's intrusion but curious to know exactly what he'd heard and what he knew about Bella. "What's up?"

"Don't pretend you don't know, Edward. Rose is up my ass like a colonoscopy probe wanting to know who you think you are and why you haven't called Bella. By the way, she says to tell you you're a bigoted fucking pussy."

"Well, gee, thanks Em. I really fucking needed to hear that." The acid in my voice was unmistakable. "Now that you're done holding her purse, go fuck yourself."

He actually laughed. I hung up.

The phone rang again. I rolled my eyes and answered it. "What the fuck do you want from me?"

"Come on, Edward. Rose told me what happened. What is your deal, dude? It's not like we haven't seen plenty of women making out and fucking in all those late-night cable pornos we watched in high school."

I was stunned by his lack of…concern. I started pacing the room.

"So, what, Emmett? Are you telling me it doesn't bother you in the least that Rosalie had her tongue down Bella's throat? That your girlfriend and my—well, my almost girlfriend have some kind of sexual history that they conveniently forgot to mention?"

He scoffed at me. "Fuck, no! You kidding me? The thought of Rose putting the moves on another woman is money in the spank bank. And even better, it tells me she's getting her kicks without employing some other guy's tool in the process. Rose is a sexual being, my man, _sex-u-allll_. She's not one to stay celibate for extended periods of time. And here I am, on the other side of the fucking planet. I don't expect her to save herself for me, and she knows I'm not waiting for her either. Sex is sex. Until there's a full-blown commitment, I say, live and let live."

"I wish it were that easy. I really do." I sank into a chair, defeated. "I just…I don't know how to make it right."

"Well, for starters you can man the fuck up and admit you acted like an asshole. Listen, Edward, I know what Tanya did to you. I know where you're coming from. But this isn't the same thing. You can at least let Bella know you aren't some homophobic jerk."

I sighed. "Did Rose say how Bella's doing? Is she all right?"

Emmett grunted. "Un-unnn dude. I am under strict orders not to say one word to you on that subject. You wanna know how Bella's doin' you gotta get in touch with her yourself and ask."

Wow, my brother had it bad. Taking orders from a woman? I chuckled.

"You realize you're completely pussy whipped, right Em? I mean, seriously, passing along messages and following orders? After what, three days of fucking and a couple weeks of Skype sex? She must be good."

"Mind your manners, bro. Rosalie's better than good. Much better." He hesitated. "I like her. A lot."

The change in his voice was clear. My brother was head over heels.

"Good for you, Em. I hope it works out for you."

"You too, Edward. Bella's a sweet girl. Fix it."

"I'll do my best."

"Oh, hey, before I go, Jasper has some time off coming up and he wants to bring Alice home. His folks' place isn't big enough for guests, so I talked to Dad and your mom and they're gonna put them up at the house."

I smiled. It would be great to see Jasper again.

"That's good news, Em. Can't wait."

"K bro, I gotta go. Early start tomorrow. Talk to you later."

"Okay. And thanks."

"You betcha." The line clicked off.

I ran a hand slowly through my hair, pulling it as I considered the whole fucked-up situation I'd gotten myself into with Bella. First I stalk her, then I knock her down, then I scare her off somehow. I make that up to her, take her to dinner, have the sexiest public makeout session ever, then scare her off again. I get that straightened out and promise to be there for her, then I stumble onto her and Rosalie and completely bail out the same night.

All this in the space of two weeks, and now I'd let another two weeks go by without a word, waiting on _her_ to come to _me_ to—what? Apologize? For being whoever or whatever she is? I remembered the look on her face in Denali just before she'd realized I was there. Whatever there was between her and Rose, whether it was serious or not, it made Bella happy. I'd stomped on that happiness because it didn't fit with my perception of her or my expectations of what we were to each other. Expectations and perceptions that I neither had shared with her nor had any right to hold her to.

Why, then, would she ever come to me? She didn't have to explain herself. She probably thought I'd been disgusted by her actions. Rosalie apparently thought so. And I knew enough of their friendship to know there was no competition between Rosalie and any man for Bella's loyalty. If ever forced to choose, Bella would choose Rosalie. And vice versa. They were closer than any two friends I'd ever met. Closer even than most sisters I'd met.

Then again, sisters didn't usually make out with each other, in public or elsewhere. I cringed at the thought, but it went a long way toward explaining the bond between them. All I knew for sure was that there was more to Bella's relationship with Rosalie than she had told me, even something more than a possible sexual relationship—something that she was afraid of. I also knew that I had been an asshole, and it was going to take a lot to get back in Bella's (and Rosalie's) good graces this time. Yet in spite of everything, I wanted Bella, and I would do whatever it took to win her heart.

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**Thanks for reading! **


	7. Chapter 7: Kate & Leopold

Chapter 7: Kate & Leopold

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.

BPOV

"Edward…"

The look on his face was seared into my brain. Horror, disgust, shock…it was all there. He spun on his heel and plunged into the crowd.

I was too stunned and horrified myself to react sensibly. I looked blankly at Rosalie, trying to confirm that it had been real, that Edward had been here, that he'd seen—

Oh my God, it was real. He'd seen me kissing Rosalie.

Too late to stop him but shouting his name nonetheless, I'd rushed into the parking lot just as he peeled out into traffic. I prayed he would get home safely. I stood there on the sidewalk, staring into the empty space where his Jeep had vanished. I felt rather than saw Rosalie approach from behind; she signaled the valet for a cab. I followed her mechanically into the back seat. At the motel she tried to talk to me, but nothing she was saying registered in my brain. I laid down on the bed and turned away from her. Eventually she gave up and turned out the light.

_I saw you girls tonight._

_I saw you kissing!_

_FUCKING WHORES. _

_Do it! Now!_

_You're gonna show us EXACTLY how you much you like it. _

The screaming woke me up. Then I realized it was coming from me. Rosalie was next to me on the bed, her face white as a sheet.

"Bella? Bella! Wake up. It's me, it's okay, wake up." Her hand was shaking. I stared at her, trying to figure out where we were and what had happened. I was disoriented, and the world was spinning.

"I need to throw up." It was the most I could get out before I launched myself from the bed and beelined for the toilet. The retching continued long after my stomach had emptied. I curled myself into a ball next to the commode and rested my forehead against my knees. My skin was clammy. I shut my eyes tightly, trying to block out the memories, the nightmare, and the look on Edward's face.

Rosalie padded softly into the room and squeezed herself next to me on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Bella," she whispered.

Sorry? Rosalie was sorry? The words spun in my head but didn't make sense.

"What for, Rose?" A sudden wave of anger rose up inside me. "Sorry for what? We didn't do anything that we need to apologize for." I untwisted myself from my corner and stood up. "You know what? We've been punished enough for this. For being who we are. People need to fucking take us as we are and stop judging us. Edward included. Fuck him."

Rose looked up at me in wonder.

"Are you okay Bella?" She quirked an eyebrow at me. "Not that I disagree with you, but this isn't exactly the reaction I was expecting."

"I'm fine. I think. No, I'm better than fine. He left, Rose. Whatever we were doing, whatever he saw, whatever he thinks about it, he left. He told me I could count on him, but he left. So fuck him. Fuck them all. I don't owe him shit. We made no promises to each other. And he has no idea what you and I mean to each other. He didn't stick around long enough to find out."

I'd never felt this…empowered. I held out a hand to Rose and pulled her up off the floor. We looked each other in the eye. I touched her face, and she nodded at me.

"I love you, you know," she said.

"I know, Rose," I answered. "I love you too."

We walked out into the room and sat together on Rose's bed. It felt anticlimactic. I wanted to rage and storm and hunt Edward down to tell him exactly where to shove his judgments and broken promises.  
Rose must have read my mind.

"I know where he lives, Bella, if you want to go. I can tell you how to get there."

I shook my head.

"It's not worth it. If he has something to say to me, he can find me and say it himself. I'm not going to go to him like I'm begging forgiveness. I didn't betray any commitment to him. I didn't promise to always be there for him and then go running away at the first challenge." I stood and crossed to my own bed. "I'm going to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up."

She leaned back against her pillow.

"It's okay. I'm here if you need me."

"I know. Thanks."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

I didn't hear from Edward. We packed our bags and went home to the apartment. I looked around and realized I hadn't done much to the place in months. There was dust an inch thick on my bookshelves. My bedroom was chaos. The kitchen was piled under with dirty dishes. I spent the weekend digging us out from under the neglect and reorganizing everything. Rosalie chose to disappear while I worked; she wasn't the housekeeping type. More the hire-a-housekeeper type.

Who knew that kitchen cabinets could get so dirty inside? It was gross. I emptied them and put down new shelf liners.

When I finished, I felt good, like I'd really accomplished something.

My bedroom closet was next. I stripped everything out of it and rehung all the clothes according to style, color, and use. I pulled out the ironing board and pressed everything. I even went hunting in Rosalie's room for her pile of "to be ironed eventually" clothes and pressed them.

Everything in order. Everything in its place. I liked it.

By Monday morning the laundry had all been done. The bathrooms were scoured. The floors had been swept and polished. Our desks were spotless; Rose's was free of dust and my own had been completely reorganized thanks to a run to OfficeMax.

"Looks great, Bells," was all Rose said as she passed through to her room on Monday night. She was headed in for Skype time with Emmett. I sat on the couch and stared at the room around me.

Early Tuesday afternoon Rosalie stumbled out of her bedroom to find me atop a (new) ladder painting the living room walls. She shook her head and went back to bed. The painting took me through Wednesday night.

I spent the day Thursday shopping. Home Depot, Lowe's, Kirkland's, HomeGoods, Target—I browsed every home decor shop I could find. New pillows for the couch. New bedding for my room. New table linens. Framed prints for the walls. Plants (silk ones, we'd kill anything living).

It had been a week. Still nothing from Edward. Rose tried to convince me to go out.

"I can't Rose!" I told her. "I have all these pictures to hang, and I need to set everything up! Did you see the new sheets I bought? I can get some for you if you want. They were on sale at Bed Bath and Beyond."

She sighed.

I hadn't filed my bills and bank statements in months. Friday night I put a movie on and spread out across the floor, sorting and filing and shredding. Lots of shredding.

"What the hell are you watching?" Rose asked. She'd surfaced from another Emmett Skype session for a snack. Probably something she'd be doing dirty, suggestive things with on her webcam. I narrowed my eyes at her; she'd better not get crumbs all over her room. I was giving her privacy, but if I thought she was making a mess in there, all bets were off.

"It's called _Face Punch,_" I said, glancing at the TV before returning my attention to my filing. "I wanted something with some adrenaline. None of that romantic crap."

She went back to her room without another word. I grabbed another stack of papers and fed them into the shredder, enjoying the churning sound as they were torn into pieces.

Saturday I read through my E-mails, deleting old ones and filing important work messages into folders. I contacted my regular clients to check in and see if they had anything for me. I browsed freelancer job sites looking for new work. I sorted through my digital photos and started tagging and editing the most recent additions.

Sunday morning I decided to cook breakfast. I'd stocked the kitchen during the week. By time Rosalie woke up I had the table loaded down with pancakes, eggs, bacon, and toasted English muffins. She sat wordlessly in a chair and watched me bustle around. I poured us both coffee and juice and sat opposite her, waiting for her to eat so I could see if she liked everything.

Instead, she frowned at me.

"That's it, Bella. I can't do this anymore."

I was confused.

"Do what? You don't have to eat anything you don't want. Would you rather have something else? I could make some French toast perhaps…" I started to get up.

"Sit down, Bella. I don't want something else. I want to talk to you. It's been over a week and we've barely had a single rational conversation. You're putting up a brave front, but I know you. You're avoiding talking or thinking about anything important with this manic purging and redecorating of the apartment. As nice as it is having the place cleaned up, I swear to God I have to stop you before you start ironing my underwear."

She reached across the table and put her hand on mine.

"You're not fixing anything, babe. And you're running out of things to clean, organize, paint, sort, file, shred, or scrub. I'm worried about what will happen when you get to that point. When you realize you've hit the end of the line and you have to face everything again."

I pulled my hand away and helped myself to pancakes.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm just trying to get this place in some kind of order." I scooped scrambled eggs onto my plate. "I'm not avoiding anything. I'm fine."

"Oh really?" she asked, raising her eyebrow at me skeptically. "Then let me ask you this, Bella Swan. Since when do you drink coffee when you're not hungover?"

I looked down at the cup of hot liquid next to my plate. Rose was right. I hated coffee in general. Why had I poured myself some? I played it off.

"I was just distracted, I guess. I meant to make myself some tea." I waved my hand like it was no big deal.

"Mm-hmmm. Sure, okay," Rosalie's voice was thick with sarcasm. "So tell me, how long have you been eating like a lumberjack then?"

"What?" I asked. She gestured to my plate.

The stack of pancakes there made my eyes pop. How had I taken so many? Why had I _made_ so many for just the two of us? The scrambled eggs were falling off the side of my plate onto the new tablecloth.

"You're not fine." Rosalie leaned back in her chair. "Believe me, I don't want to see the return of curled-in-a-ball-sobbing Bella either, but this insane nesting thing you have going on, whatever it is, isn't much better."

I slumped forward, planting my elbows on the table and dropping my head into my hands.

"I can't," I whispered. "I can't…stop." I looked up.

"I need the distraction, Rose, don't you see? I need to find somewhere else for my brain to go. If I can focus myself entirely on something else, something external, I won't have to face the fact that Edward hasn't called or texted or come over. I won't have to sit here wondering if he's disgusted by me or if he hates me and how badly I hurt him and whether I'm being fair by not calling or texting him either."

My head dropped into my hands again. I gripped large chunks of my hair with my fingers and pulled, trying to obliterate the emotions with physical pain.

"And if I can block out Edward, if I can forget any of it ever happened, maybe, just maybe, I can forget the rest too. Maybe I can get through a night without nightmares. Maybe I can go on a date and kiss a man—or a woman—without being smacked in the face by horrible memories. I'm not sure any of this is worth the money anymore Rose. I need to talk to someone. I need to know that I can be accepted as me, even with all the baggage I bring. I can't trust anyone, and part of that is because I know they can't trust me either. I have too many secrets."

"You still have me, you know," she said quietly.

"I know that. I do. And I love you for it. We've been through so much. But don't you wish we could just be free of this? That you could tell Emmett everything about yourself, even the deepest, darkest, scariest things, and know that he still cares about you even then?"

She stared down at her plate.

"I told him about us."

"You…what? What did you tell him?" She wouldn't do that to me. She wouldn't break the agreement for herself when she was holding me to it so tightly. Would she?

"I told him about us kissing and what happened with Edward. I told him about us having sex. I made sure he understood that it happened a long time ago, but I told him we still sometimes, you know, made out and stuff for fun."

"That's all you told him?"

"Of course! I mean, I also told him to tell Edward he was a pussy for bailing on you, but other than that I haven't said a word about anything. You know I wouldn't do that Bella. I'm a selfish person. I want the money. I want every cent that's coming to me. I deserve it. _We_ deserve it. And if I have to stifle some bad memories to do it, I will."

I considered her words. She was right, of course. She did need the money. Much more than I did. And it wouldn't be that much longer. A few more months. The money would make everything easier, right? Even if I had to live with the fear, I could do it for Rose.

"You really called Edward a pussy?"

She smiled at me.

"Damn straight I did. That dumbass bailed on my girl. No one does that to you while I'm on watch. I told Emmett his brother needed to man the fuck up. You were right that night, Bells. We don't owe anything to anyone but ourselves. We've made no promises—well, you know, beyond the _agreement,_ anyway—and we are who we are. If Edward wants you for himself, then he needs to say so. Until then, you're beholden only to you, and what, or _who,_ you do with your time is your choice alone."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Rosalie offered to clean up breakfast. She said it was the least she could do, since I'd basically redecorated the place. I thanked her and went to my room. I needed to think.

Although it had probably been necessary, Rose smashing my shoddy wall of strength and industriousness left me little support for facing the reality of life after Edward. I had known him such a very short time, just a few days, but the way he'd made me feel—the odd electricity between us, the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled and how that smile dazzled me, the touch of his lips on mine—stayed with me as strongly as the fear and nightmares of my past. He was like sunshine breaking through my midnight; his presence alone had warmed me and made me happier than I'd been in ages.

But now I had to face the truth: Edward had abandoned me. Despite his promises to be there for me, despite his vow that I could count on him, he had left me standing alone outside Denali and never looked back. He didn't want me after all. One moment, one act—an act of love and affection between myself and Rosalie, and nothing remotely related to him—had changed everything, apparently.

I alternated between anger and sadness in the days that followed. I didn't regret kissing Rose. I never did. That was part of who we were, part of our connection with each other. Regrets were a waste of energy. Edward had seen us together and run; clearly he'd judged us for our actions. That was his problem, wasn't it? Then I recalled his story about his ex-wife, and how he'd found her in bed with someone else, and my heart broke for him. It must have hurt him so badly to be betrayed and to bear witness himself to her infidelity. In that light, I could understand how seeing me kissing Rosalie would have hurt him all over again.

Maybe he wasn't judging. Maybe he was just reliving his own personal nightmare, as I was.

Thursday night arrived again, and I agreed to go out with Rosalie. She'd been as patient as she was capable of being, and I owed her for it. I owed her for a lot of things.

We didn't go to Denali, however. We decided to check out a local band at Forks, a small restaurant and bar on the other side of town. We had dinner and then headed downstairs to the basement stage area. The show was good, the crowd was fun, and it was the first time in a while that I really enjoyed our night out together. I stuck to diet soda, since I was driving for a change, and we were back at the apartment before midnight. I had just opened the door when Rose spoke up.

"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the floor. Something was sticking out from under the welcome mat. I reached down and pulled it out. It was a scroll of parchment. My full name, _Isabella,_ was written on the outside in calligraphy. We went into the apartment, and I unrolled it while she closed the door. The text inside was also in calligraphy. Rose read over my shoulder.

_I behaved as an imbecile that night, animated in part by drink, in part by your beauty, and in part by my own foolish pride. And for that I am profoundly sorry._

_"Kate and Leopold,"_ I whispered. She stared at me quizzically.

"It's from Edward," I replied to her unasked question. "We…when we went to dinner that night we sort of started this game. We tried to stump each other with movie quotes, since, you know, he's a film professor…" I trailed off, remembering our dinner that night. "This is a quote from _Kate and Leopold._"

"So he's apologizing then?"

I smiled slightly to myself. "Yeah, I suppose he is, in his own way."

I thought of the movie, and of another quote from Darci, the receptionist, regarding Leopold's letter.

_"I don't know what this guy did to piss you off, but that is the best apology letter in the history of mankind."_

It was a start, anyway.

EPOV

I'd spent the previous day looking for the perfect line, the best movie apology I could find. When a search for "best apology movie quote" pulled up Darci's line, I knew I'd found it. After all, how could I miss with "the best apology letter in the history of mankind"? I Googled the script and read it to be sure, and Leopold gave me the idea for the calligraphy and the fancy paper. I'd intended to simply write the quote on an index card or something, but this was much better. I'd need help to make it work, however.

Thursday morning I called in reinforcements.

"Hullo?" She was still asleep. Okay, it was really early. But I had to make this happen, and fast.

"Hi Mom, it's me. I need your help. Do you still do that calligraphy stuff?"

I spent the morning and most of the afternoon at my parents' house while Mom dug out her pens and ink. When I'd explained what I needed, she had happily agreed to help and said she even had the perfect paper for it, which was a relief; I had no idea where to buy authentic-looking parchment. She went through several rough drafts on regular paper, trying to revive her skills.

"It's been years, Edward," she reminded me as I huffed impatiently. "If you want this done properly, give me some time to warm up." She smiled at me. "I don't know what you're apologizing for, sweetheart, but I hope it works. Bella must be important for you to go through all this."

"She is," I replied.

When the final letter was ready and the ink was dry, we rolled it together. Mom's calligraphy set even came with real sealing wax. We sealed it closed.

"Good luck," she called as I left. She was smiling.

"Thanks, Mom."

I drove straight to Bella's, even though it was still too early. I waited outside their building for them to leave, hoping they would stick to their usual Thursday night out. I wanted to hide the note when I knew they wouldn't see or hear me.

I hoped Bella would see this first step as romantic or, at the very least, as a personal reminder of the one incredible evening we spent together before everything went sideways. I knew it wouldn't solve everything, and I prayed she wouldn't think it was cowardly of me not to face her directly. I simply wasn't ready yet. My reaction when she did finally emerge from the apartment only reinforced that. My stomach knotted and my mouth went dry. She looked as beautiful as ever, although more tired and thin than I remembered. Was that my doing?

I watched them drive away, then walked up to their entryway and slipped the scroll under the mat. I drove home and waited.

My answer came much sooner than I expected.

Sometime after midnight, my phone beeped with a text message.

_"A woman's heart is a deep ocean of secrets."_

_Titanic,_ I thought to myself. I wasn't sure what to make of Bella's message, but at least she'd responded. Why were they home already?

I couldn't come up with an adequate response to Bella's quote on my own, so I had to resort to Googling again. The quote I found, from a film called _Angels & Insects,_ was perfect.

_"I would feel lucky…if you would feel you could let me be your friend, despite the differences between us. If you could trust me a little…I don't know what I'm talking about. Why should you trust me? I want so much to do something for you. Anything at all."_

I waited anxiously for an answer. Had she gone to bed while I Googled?

The phone beeped.

_"Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way."_

It certainly had this time. While I tried to come up with an adequate response, my phone beeped again.

_You ran from me. You left me standing there. _

I cringed at the thought of Bella standing alone outside Denali.

_I know. I'm sorry._

_Why didn't you call? I thought you hated me. I thought you were disgusted by me. _

_I didn't know how I felt._

_Do you know now?_

_I do. And I have another quote for you. _

I'd found the perfect sentiment for how I'd felt that night. Ironically, it had come from another Kevin Smith movie.

_"It was a mistake. I didn't hate her. I wasn't disgusted with her. I was afraid. At that moment, I felt small, like…like I'd lacked experience, like I'd never be on her level, like I'd never be enough for her."_

I sent the quote and waited for her answer. It took only a few minutes.

_"What I did not get, she didn't care." Chasing Amy. Kevin Smith again. :)_

She remembered.

_Silent Bob is my guru. ;)_

Silence. I waited for another text. Five minutes went by. Ten. What happened? Did she fall asleep? It was late, actually; I realized it was nearly 2 in the morning. Although I was happy that we'd reestablished a connection, I still wasn't sure Bella had forgiven me. I sensed that she understood where I was coming from, but was that enough?

After half an hour of waiting, I assumed Bella must have drifted off after her last text. I was still wired from the nervous tension of the entire evening. I peeled off my shirt and started doing pushups in the middle of the living room to try to burn off the energy and clear my head. I'd hit seventy-four when I heard a knock at the door. I looked at the clock—2:45 am. Who would be stopping by at this hour?

I looked through the peephole, and what I saw had me flinging the door open a second later.

"Bella?"

Thanks for reading! I've posted a blog entry about the movie quotes in this chapter as well as explaining my choice of movies as the story and chapter titles. If you're interested, stop by adelevarensff(dot)blogspot(dot)com.


	8. Chapter 8: Body Heat

**Chapter 8: Body Heat**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**PLEASE NOTE: This chapter is one of the reasons this story is rated M.  
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**BPOV**

_Ho-ly fuck._

Edward opened the door, and the first thing I saw was his chest. His bare chest. His muscular, slightly sweaty chest with a smattering of curly hair. My eyes drifted south to his equally muscular abdomen and the tummy trail of hair leading down…

Cue speechless gawking.

"Bella? Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

_Shit. Was this a bad idea?_ I held up the six-pack of beer. I had made it to the store just in time before the 2 a.m. liquor sales cutoff, but then I'd sat in my car in the lot outside Edward's apartment for at least half an hour, trying to decide whether to go in. Seeing Edward half-naked was definitely worth the trip. Still, I wasn't exactly a poster child for stable emotions, and this was likely to be an intense conversation. Especially if my hoo-ha was busy doing the lambada over his fucking incredible body…

_Focus. Must focus._

"I thought maybe we could talk…in person," I explained. "I figured it was my turn to make a gesture." I paused. Edward was still staring at me. "Er…can I come in?"

"Oh!" He seemed to snap out of a haze. He stepped back and waved me in. "Yeah, sure, come in. Please."

I stepped in slowly, trying not to ogle him as I passed. I failed. I could feel his smirk, so of course I blushed. I looked away and breathed in, trying to maintain calm. I needed to talk to Edward and not get distracted by his…_damn, he smells good._

Maybe coming over here in the middle of the night wasn't the best idea. It's not like I was thinking straight. I just knew I wanted to get this whole thing cleared up one way or another. I liked Edward. A lot. But movie quotes and grand gestures aside, I needed to figure out exactly what had happened that night at Denali and what he was thinking, then and now, about me, about us, about all of it. The _Chasing Amy_ quote had said quite a lot. Did he really think that he had to compete with Rosalie? That he somehow came up short?

"Please, sit down," he said, leading me to the sofa. Typical bachelor pad—the sofa was the only seating in the living room, well worn, and facing the television. I smiled to myself as I sat. Edward stood there, hesitant, then sat down beside me. A moment of awkward silence passed. I dangled the cardboard beer carrier nervously between my hands while I tried to figure out how to start. Edward, on the other hand, was staring at me again, like he wasn't quite sure what to make of me.

"I brought beer," I said. _I brought beer? Really Bella, that's your opener? Might as well have said 'I carried a watermelon.'_

_And now I'm_ thinking _in movie quotes._ I reached into the carrier and pulled out two bottles.

"Do you have an opener?"

He chuckled.

"I'm a single male with a single male jock butthead brother for a roommate, Bella. What do you think?" He took the beers from me and got up to go to the kitchen. He came back a minute later and handed me an open bottle.

"Since you put it that way, I'm actually surprised you don't just rip off the caps with your teeth and grunt a lot," I replied, smiling.

"Well, I'll admit, Emmett's not exactly the bottle opener type. Kitchen utensils are something of a mystery to him, in fact." Edward grinned. "I do try to at least _appear_ civilized when there's a lady present, however. Speaking of which…" He set his beer on the coffee table and reached for his discarded t-shirt. My lady bits whimpered as he pulled it over his head and that lickable chest disappeared. He grabbed the beer again and hoisted it toward me in a toast.

"Cheers," we said, clinking bottles and then both taking long pulls. _Stalling, Bella. Get to it._

"Edward," I began, nervously picking at the label on my bottle. "I need to know what…I mean…er…." How to put it? _Just get on with it!_ "Look, obviously I know what you saw that night. And _obviously_ it upset you enough that you disappeared on me for two weeks. So I need to know exactly what you want from me now, after all this time has passed. I appreciated the note, I did. And I can see you went through a lot of effort to put that together. But…why?"

"I'm not proud of how I acted, Bella." He ran a hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face. "It was just—I went there that night to surprise you. And there you were, with Rose, and—and it brought back bad memories of when I found Tanya with…with him, and you even had the same look on your face when you saw me that she had. I couldn't deal. I had to get out of there."

"So it wasn't about me being with a woman, then? Just me being with…anyone?"

He shook his head.

"The—the woman thing freaked me out a little, too, at first. I wasn't expecting that at all. I'd sort of gotten the impression that you weren't really all that…I mean, I guess I kind of thought—"

"What? That I was inexperienced? Pure vanilla in the sex department?"

He surprised me by turning red. I frowned.

"I haven't had very many partners, Edward, but that doesn't mean I haven't done some experimenting. And it definitely doesn't mean I haven't fantasized about doing lots of other things as well."

He started stammering.

"B-but you and Rosalie, I mean…is that something—er, have you…"

"Fucked?" He nodded. I looked pointedly at him.

"Not that you have _any_ right to ask me that, but since Rose has already told Emmett…. Yes, Rosalie and I have had sex. Once. One night after I left Jacob. It was months ago. We had kissed a couple of times before that, but that night things just went further."

I thought again about the _Chasing Amy_ quote.

"Does that change anything about me in your eyes, Edward? You've said I didn't disgust you…"

"You didn't."

"Then did you really think that my being with Rosalie, then or at any time in the past, changed how I felt about you in the present? Did you really think you'd have to compete with her, and that you'd somehow come up lacking?"

"I—I don't know, Bella. I don't. She could understand you, as a woman herself, better than I ever could, you know, _intimately_…" He looked at me. "Is there something between you and Rose? I mean, you said you've only been together once, and that it was months ago, but that kiss I saw, Bella, it looked like _more._"

"I love Rosalie, Edward. I love her as the best friend I've ever had and the sister I never had. And I have loved her in ways that are _less_ than sisterly. I enjoy kissing her. We enjoy each other and we enjoy the attention it gets us—most of the time. We're not in a relationship. We are 'bisexual friends with benefits,' I guess, if you want to put an official label on it. But if either of us _committed_ ourselves to someone else, male or female, we would stop, and the rest of our friendship would go on as usual."

I paused.

"That said, anyone we were with would have to understand that side of us and accept it. Rosalie is in my life. She's a part of me, and I'm a part of her. If you and I were to end up together, Edward, you'd have to be able to handle knowing the truth about Rose and me and still be able to have her as part of your life as well."

I took another long pull on my beer. Edward nodded to himself, then did the same. We were still side by side on the sofa, but we'd both turned toward each other while we talked, and our knees were touching. I still felt the same charge that I always felt when I made contact with him, and I wondered if he felt it too. It was making it very difficult to focus on what I was saying, but there was still one point I had to clear up.

"As for the whole knowing me 'intimately' thing…" I reached out and put my hand on his leg, right where I had before, and recognized once again the tightening of the muscles there. I leaned toward him until he made eye contact with me, and I half-smiled. "There's only one way to learn that, and in my book, practice makes perfect."

I held his gaze, and he held mine. A minute passed. Two.

Then he broke the connection.

"I have to ask you something else," he said, staring down at his hands. "Before whatever happens between us happens, I need to know something."

My heart started pounding. I knew. I sucked in a long breath, trying to calm myself. I pulled my hand away from his leg and he looked back up at me, his brows furrowed in confusion and concern.

"What is it, Bella? What are you so afraid of?"

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**EPOV**

I hadn't even asked the question yet and already she was panicking. I could hear her altered breathing. She let go of my leg—_sweet Jesus, what those fingers did to me, every time!_—and I looked up to see her eyes wide with what could only be fear.

"What is it, Bella? What are you so afraid of?"

I reached out for her hands, but she slid them back toward herself, out of my grasp. She closed her eyes.

"Please don't ask me that," she whispered.

"Why not? Whatever it is, it keeps coming between us. I want to help you. Please let me."

"I can't, Edward. I just can't."

I reached again for her hands, and this time I wouldn't let her pull away. I took them in my own. She opened her eyes.

"I know I hurt you by disappearing on you, Bella. I know it. I'm so sorry for that. I promised you could trust me and count on me and then I bailed on you. I don't blame you for not wanting to trust me now. But please, I can see how afraid you are. I saw it on your face when you ran from me outside the diner, and I saw it again after our date. What has you so afraid that you're shaking just sitting here with me?" Her hands were cold and trembling.

"I can't tell you." She shook her head. "I _want_ to. I would if I could. But I can't."

I didn't understand.

"Bella, whatever this is, I can handle it, I promise. I won't bail on you again. But I have to know what's going on!"

She pulled her hands free and covered her face with them. She started to cry.

_Fucking hell, what _was_ this?_

I put my arms around her and pulled her to me. It was the closest we'd been in weeks, and as she buried her face in my chest I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed by the contact with her body. I'd almost forgotten how powerfully drawn to her I was physically, lost as I'd been in my head. I held her close as she cried quietly against me, and I dipped my face down to her hair, breathing in the familiar strawberry scent as I rested my cheek against her head.

It wasn't enough.

I leaned forward slightly and kissed her forehead, then lifted a hand from her shoulder and slowly brushed the curls from her face. I swept her cheek gently with my thumb, catching a tear in the process. She turned her head farther into my chest, tucking her cheek just below my collarbone, her face tilted slightly upward. Her breath tickled my neck. My cock, already half hard from her earlier contact with my leg and her current proximity, stiffened more as I realized her lips were only inches from my skin.

_Get a grip on yourself, Masen. She's upset. She's crying. You did that. Calm yourself down._

Bella lifted a hand and rested it on my chest. I held her even tighter and closed my eyes, trying again to stifle my reactions with baseball statistics, but they weren't helping this time. After a few minutes I felt her hand slowly moving up my chest to my shoulder and then around behind my neck. She shifted to the side, and suddenly I could feel her breasts against me. Her nose and lips were nuzzled into my skin.

I swallowed roughly and nearly jumped when her lips met my Adam's apple. She wrapped them around it, then proceeded down to the divot where my collarbones met. She lingered there, planting small, soft kisses into the space, and I didn't dare move. I was afraid of spooking her again, afraid of letting her continue, and afraid that she would stop. The fingers behind my head suddenly twisted into my hair, and her kisses widened, taking in my neck and moving up toward my ear.

"Bella," I moaned quietly, both in pleasure at her touch and in warning. She was starting something, and if she was going to stop again, she needed to do it soon, before I lost it completely.

"Shhhhhh…" she whispered. She lifted herself slightly and I felt her tongue flick my earlobe before traveling down my jaw. When she reached my chin, I tipped my face to hers. Our mouths explored each other. I bit down softly on her lower lip and she whimpered, a hungry, desperate sound that drove me wild. Our teeth knocked and our arms tangled as we both tried to get closer at the same time. Bella smiled through our kisses as she gripped the bottom of my t-shirt and pulled it roughly upward, separating us momentarily as it passed over my head. Her fingers roamed my chest, tracing lines across my skin and playing with the hair.

I held her face in my hands and tilted her head back, exposing her neck to me. I dove in, tasting her skin with my lips and tracing her collarbones with my tongue. My stubble left a faint pink trail as I worked my way up to the spot just below her ear where all women are vulnerable. Her breathing, already quick, sped up even more as I sucked gently on her. I slipped a hand beneath her blouse and touched her through the lace of her bra. Her nipple was hard, and my thumb toyed with it softly, causing her to moan and bend backward, arcing her breast into my hand.

I pulled my lips from her neck stared down at her, meeting her eyes. They were dark with lust. She held my gaze as she unbuttoned her shirt and tossed it in the same direction mine had gone. I broke contact and let my eyes travel the length of her torso, taking in the beautiful swell of her breasts, the contrast of the dark blue lace against her pale skin, and the smooth perfection of her stomach. I couldn't hold back anymore. I pushed her backward against the couch pillow and attacked her bare skin with passion, tasting her everywhere I could reach. I trailed licks and kisses from her chest to her navel, but I deliberately ignored her breasts. She arced and moaned, seeking contact, but I teased her, dragging the tip of my tongue along the top edge of her bra but never dipping below the fabric. As she arced again I tucked my arms beneath her, holding her in that position and burying my face in her stomach, following the indentations of her ribs against her skin.

"Edward, please…" she moaned.

_Fuuuuck._ My name on Bella's lips, in that low, husky voice…

I may have torn the bra free at that point, I'm not sure. All I know is that within seconds my lips were buried in her bare breasts. She wrapped her arms around my head, holding me there, smothering me in her scent and her soft skin. I could hear her heart pounding as I lavished attention on her sensitive places. My skin blazed hot where it met hers, and we were seared together. Bella's hands gripped my sides, holding me to her, before slipping down into my sweatpants and around my ass. She squeezed hard, digging her nails into me and causing me to buck into her.

With her help I shed the pants and my boxers, kicking them behind me. My fingers fumbled roughly with the button of her jeans, and I shifted myself so I could kiss her abdomen along the waistband as I unzipped them and pulled them from her. Dark blue lace panties greeted me, a match to her bra, and I moved off the couch and stood, admiring her. She looked up, aroused and confused. I held out a hand to her and she took it tentatively, rising to stand next to me. I leaned in and kissed her again, and she sank against my body, holding me as she returned the kiss.

"I want you, Bella," I whispered in her ear. "I've wanted you since the moment I first saw you."

She moaned.

"I'm yours, Edward. Take me."

_Take me._

_I'm yours. _  
_Edward._

"Not here." I stepped away from her and took her hand again. "Come with me." I tugged slightly and she followed me, down the hall and into my room. I led her near the bed, but not all the way. Standing there, she looked so beautiful. I wanted to worship every inch of her. I sank to my knees before her and pressed my lips to her abdomen as I gripped her hips. Then my fingers bent inside the thin fabric that separated me from her, and I guided it downward, kissing the places revealed to me as it disappeared. I bent down to help her step out of the panties and kissed up her inner calves and thighs as I made my way back to her center. My arms bent around her legs and my hands took hold of her perfect rear. I kissed her mound before moving lower, and her knees slightly buckled as my tongue slid between her folds.

"Fuuuuuck," she moaned. Her fingers twisted into my hair and she guided my mouth back to her, tilting her pelvis toward me and giving me better access. I teased and licked her, circling her clit with my tongue and then sliding it deep inside of her. I could feel her wetness on my chin; she was soaking me in it and still I couldn't get enough. I pushed her backward onto the bed, her legs hanging over the side, and I buried my face in her. She hooked her heels into the lip of the bed frame, bending her knees and opening herself more to me. I slipped one, then another finger inside her and began a slow rhythm while I continued teasing her with my tongue. She writhed and bucked on the bed, her moans and gasps coming faster and louder.

"Edward…oh God yes…fuck."

I began sucking on her clit, and she twisted up off the bed with a cry. I kept going, feeling her body dance under my ministrations. She was incredible. I increased the pace with my mouth, and then she was tightening around my fingers. I watched her face from my position as I carried her through her orgasm, and she was even more beautiful as she let go, her cheeks flushed, her lips wet and open and calling my name. As she came down I removed my fingers from her and she whimpered quietly. I stood then and looked down at her. She was glowing with sex and sweat, and I was overwhelmed with my need for her.

* * *

**BPOV**

There was no fear now as I sat up, exhausted from the orgasm Edward had given me and desperate for more of him. I had started this. It was my choice, my touch, my kisses that had brought Edward literally to his knees before me, and I could think of nothing but him. He filled my senses, my every thought.

His cock was standing upright before me. I met Edward's eyes as I moved toward him and took him into my mouth, and I maintained eye contact as I began to slide his length between my lips and teeth. His eyes rolled into his head and closed for few seconds before opening and finding mine again. He grew impossibly harder as I worked him.

"Bella, I need you," he begged. "I need you now."

I pulled back one last time and teased the head of his cock with my tongue. I leaned back slightly.

"Take me, Edward," I answered.

He growled quietly and leaned over me. Together we slid up into the bed and our limbs intertwined as we collapsed into each other, kissing and touching everywhere we could reach. I teased him with my hands, wrapping my fingers around him only lightly, barely holding him, and he groaned in desperation. He reached into the nightstand and tore open a condom, rolling it quickly on and leaning into position.

"Are you ready?" he asked quietly, looking down at me. His hair was a wild tangle and his eyes were dark with need. I nodded.

He slid into me, and we became one. He stretched me, filled me, and I felt every nerve in my body tense and then release in ecstasy. I hitched my legs up around him and he sank deeper, both of us moaning in response to the change. He began to move, and I matched his rhythm. He felt incredible. I felt incredible. It had never been like this before. The electricity between us intensified with our joining, and we seemed almost to melt into each other with the heat of it. I was no longer certain where I ended and Edward began. Time stopped and started as we moved in unison, rising and then falling, speeding up and slowing down, neither of us ready for this feeling to end.

Eventually we rolled, and I sat astride him, my hair dangling down between us. He wrapped his hands in it as I rode him, our eyes never leaving each other. I leaned back, and his hands released my hair and found my breasts, fondling and massaging them. He teased my nipples with his thumbs and I whimpered. He sat up then, taking my breasts one by one into his mouth, alternating with his fingers. I continued riding him, moving faster now, and he held me close to him, his face in my chest, my hands twisted again in his hair.

"Oh my God…Oh Edward…unghhhh…" The sounds escaping me became unintelligible as my body shuddered again. Edward moved suddenly, rolling me onto my back again, and began pounding into me harder and faster. I could sense his climax building, and I was close again myself.

"Fuck me Edward," I begged loudly. "Fuck me hard, baby."

He groaned and his face contorted as he moved even faster.

"Bella," he gasped out. "Bella…"

His body tensed and I felt him release inside me, the pulsing sending me over the edge one last time. Sated and exhausted, we collapsed together for several minutes before Edward pulled away. I cried internally at the loss of him inside me. He kissed me and then disappeared into the bathroom. I curled into the bed, pulling one of Edward's pillows under my head and breathing in his scent. I covered myself with a blanket and waited for his return. He came out of the bathroom and slid into bed behind me. One arm snaked under the pillow, beneath my neck, and the other found a resting place between my breasts. I shimmied back against his chest and mingled my legs with his.

"Good night Bella," he whispered, softly kissing the back of my shoulder.

"Good night Edward," I answered.

We slept.

* * *

**Finally! I thought these two would never get their shit together. Bet you did too, hm? Thanks for sticking with me! Thanks also to my prereaders, o_oza, mskathy, KayCannon1, and emmward.  
**

**Chapter Notes:**

_**Body Heat**_** is considered one of the sexiest movies ever. It stars Kathleen Turner and William Hurt, and I have never seen it because the one time it was on TV in my house, my parents made me stay in the dining room so I couldn't see. And yeah, that was probably 20 years ago. Probably time to Netflix it. **

"**I carried a watermelon" is one of the better-known quotes from 1987's **_**Dirty Dancing,**_** one of the few movies I can say with certainty that I have seen more times than I saw **_**Twilight—**_**but only because I watched **_**Dirty Dancing**_** literally every single day of an entire summer vacation. It was the first "real" VHS tape I ever owned. Mmmmmm, Patrick Swayze…my first teen celebrity crush. I wish now that I still had the autographed photo and letter he sent in response to my fan mail!**

**Thanks for reading! Remember, for more on the story behind the story, check out my blog at adelevarensff(dot)blogspot(dot)com!**


	9. Chapter 9: Love Actually

**Chapter 9: Love Actually**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**EPOV**

Bella's chest lifted and fell beneath my arm as she slept. I could feel the faint thudding of her heartbeat. Her body curled into mine, fitting us together as though we'd been made that way. I closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of her hair and the floral, but now slightly salty, scent of her skin.

If I could wake up to this every morning, my days would be perfect forever.

Bella sighed and coiled inward on herself. I followed suit, keeping our bodies close. I wasn't ready to lose this connection. I'd alternated between sleeping and watching Bella all morning. I began to doze again.

"Please…"

My eyes flew open and I propped myself up to look at her. Her eyes were closed, but the lids were twitching rapidly. She was asleep. Bella talked in her sleep?

"Please…no…"

The frightened plea in her voice was clear. My concern for her warred with my curiosity. Should I wake her? Should I listen to see what more she might say?

"Don't! Please, no!" Her voice was raised in a panic. "Let go of me!" I saw tears fall from beneath her lids. "Don't hurt her!"

Concern won out.

"Bella?" I whispered. "Wake up baby." I put my hand on her arm to shake her. She sat bolt upright and screamed.

"Let go of me! No!" She ripped her arm from my grasp and twisted away from me. Her eyes opened and she stared at me as though she didn't recognize me.

"Bella? Bella, baby, it's me." I held up my hands as nonthreateningly as possible. "It's Edward."

She blinked.

"Edward?"

I let out a sigh of relief.

"It's me, baby." I tried to smile reassuringly at her, but I'm not sure I succeeded. My face felt frozen. Shock, fear, concern, confusion—I wasn't sure which emotion was most prominent.

Realization dawned on her face. Her hands flew to her mouth and her eyes widened.

"Oh God, Edward, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for having a bad dream. Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she stammered. "You're right, it was just a bad dream." She attempted a smile, but hers wasn't any more successful than my own.

"Do you want to talk about it?" I held my arms out to her, hoping she'd come back to me. She glanced at my open arms, then at the clock.

"Oh my God, it's late! I should probably get back home, I didn't tell Rose I was going anywhere, she'll be worried…" She hopped up off the bed and stumbled around the room collecting her clothes as she talked. "…work to do…"

"Bella." I tried to keep my voice low to avoid spooking her. She rambled on, still rushing about. I climbed out of the bed and stood in her path, but she made a move to go around. Anger flared in my chest. Without thinking I reached out and grabbed her arms, forcing her to look at me. She froze. This time, I ignored the panic in her eyes. I made her look at me.

"Bella, please don't run away from me again!" I begged. Her face was a mask. I couldn't read anything in her expression except absolute terror. "Tell me, Bella! Tell me why. Why you run from me. Why you were screaming in your sleep. Why you're shaking now. Please let me in!"

_"Let go of me."_ Her voice was cold and barely above a whisper. _"Now."_

I held on for another heartbeat before releasing her; she stepped back from me, opening a wide gap between us. She was white as a ghost and shaking, but her expression was wary.

"Bella," I whispered. "Bella, please. Please, I need you to trust me. Let me help."

Silence. Minutes passed. She didn't move. At last she spoke.

"There's nothing you can do." The words were so quiet I could barely make them out, but they gave me hope.

"I don't believe that. I can listen. I can hold you. We can try to figure whatever it is out together."

She closed her eyes. When she spoke her voice was stronger.

"I'm not allowed to tell you, Edward. I can't. It's…complicated."

I stepped toward her, arms outstretched to hold her.

She stepped backward.

"Don't be afraid of me," I begged, dropping my arms. "Please, I won't hurt you. I love you. I just want to help. Let me take care of you."

Her eyes widened.

"You…you love me?"

I hadn't realized I'd said the words out loud. _Did I love her?_

"Yes," I nodded. "Yes, I'm in love with you. I love you, Bella."

She stared at me.

"You still don't know me, Edward," she said at last. "How can you love me? We hardly know each other."

"I know that. I know it seems crazy. But I miss you when you're not with me. I think about you all the time. I want to know everything there is to know about you. And I want to take care of you. Being with you this morning, it was…it was everything."

She took a tentative step forward. I held my breath and waited. Would she come to me, or run? Her eyes warned me as she took another step closer. I held still. When she reached me she slid her arms around my body and pulled herself to my chest. I gently wrapped my arms around her. We stood there holding each other for several long minutes. Finally, she spoke again.

"I need to talk to Rosalie." She turned her face up to mine, and I could see the tracks of silent tears on her cheeks. "I want to tell you everything, Edward. I do. But I have to talk to Rose first."

"Okay," I answered. I was puzzled, but I knew my only hope was to let her do things in her own way. I leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Okay. Whatever you need."

She tightened her hold on me.

"Thank you," she said quietly into my chest. Stepping back, she smiled at me, her face still clouded but less so, and took my hand. She led me back to the bed, and then pulled me toward her. Our lips met, and we were soon lost in each other. Sometime later, sated and exhausted, we wound ourselves together and sank into a deep sleep.

It didn't escape my notice that she had never said she loved me in return.

_

**BPOV**

I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep until I heard Edward's breathing sink into a deep, regular pattern. We were tangled together, naked, and in spite of everything I felt safe in his embrace. His body was long, lean, and muscular—nothing like bulky Emmett, but still well maintained and strong—and it was warm and comforting against my skin.

He loved me.

Immediately my brain scoffed at the idea. How could he? He knew almost nothing about me. Had he not just _abandoned_ me for nearly two weeks? And before that, we'd spent maybe twelve hours in each other's company.

Love? Not likely. Lust, perhaps. Fascination. Interest. I was something new for him, and given my proclivity for running away and bursting into tears at inopportune moments, I was probably coming off as intriguing, a mysterious damsel in distress for him to rescue and figure out. Men loved to chase, after all. Beyond that, there was little between us to provide a foundation for something as strong and supposedly lasting as _love._

Besides, since when do men say it first and really mean it? Edward was trying to get me to come back to him after he'd basically manhandled me into hearing him out. He'd probably thrown love out there as an inducement. When I'd called him on it, he'd seemed surprised that he'd said it. So how could I believe in it?

Still…if there was anyone on Earth I'd want to love, and be loved by in return, it was Edward. Loving him would be easy, natural, blissful.

If I was capable of love.

I had thought, once upon a time, that I loved Jacob. I gave myself to him, body and mind and soul. But it had never been enough for him. He'd always wanted more. After I met Rose and started finally taking back parts of myself, he lost faith in me, doubted my fidelity, hurled ugly things at me—but he stayed, and there were moments he tried hard to recapture what we'd had. It wasn't Jacob that had finally ended the marriage: it was me. I walked away and never looked back. He opened the window, certainly, with another night of ridiculous accusations and blame, but I was the one who ultimately jumped.

If that had been love, it wasn't something I was interested in living through again.

Love was supposed to be about giving yourself to another person fully and completely. Giving them your faith, your trust, your heart, sharing even your deepest, darkest secrets.

I had none of those things available to me to give to Edward. My faith in people had been destroyed. My trust had been beaten and bloodied. My heart was cold and afraid. And my secrets weren't my own to share. It wasn't fair of me, really, to take Edward's affection and—_love?_—when I couldn't return them. But it pained me physically, now, to think of leaving him. I'd become attached to the idea that someone could still want me after everything that had happened. My instincts liked the idea of a protector, someone in my life who wanted to take care of me and keep me safe from the things that went bump in the night.

I shifted slightly, and Edward's arms tightened around me. Even in his sleep, he wanted to shield me. I thought about Rosalie. She would never agree to let me tell Edward the truth. It would be too much of a risk if anyone found out that we had broken our agreement. But somehow, I would have to convince her. I wanted Edward to know me. All of me. If I could give him that much, perhaps someday I could give him _everything_ he deserved.

Perhaps I could even give him my love.

Eventually I fell asleep. This time, the nightmare stayed away.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The most annoying tune kept playing in my head. It was tinny and short, but it kept replaying over and over. I groaned and tried to block it out by snuggling closer to Edward. At some point I had turned over, and my face was buried in him.

"Bella," his voice was soft, but it rumbled in his chest. "Baby, is that your cellphone?"

Recognition dawned on me. Rosalie's ringtone. _Oh shit._ I looked at the clock; it was after noon. _Double shit._

I leapt out of Edward's arms and the bed and raced, naked, into the living room for my purse.

"Hello? Rose?" I fumbled with the buttons on my BlackBerry. "Rose, are you there?"

"Bella Swan, where the fuck are you? I've been freaking out here!" The panic in Rose's voice was clear.

"I'm sorry, babe. I'm okay. I'm…" I braced myself for her reaction. "I'm with Edward."

Silence.

"You're with Edward?" She paused. "Like, _with,_ with Edward?"

"Yeah. I, uh, I came over here last night to talk to him, and, well, I stayed."

"OhmyGodI'!" She was squealing now. "Was it good? Did you come? How many times did you do it? Oh my God!"

Rose had no problem cutting to the chase.

"I'm not going to go into particulars with you over the phone, Rose! Settle down. I'll talk to you later when I get home, okay?"

"Okay. Okay. But you WILL tell me everything!" She was happy for me. Or really interested in the details. I wasn't sure which.

"Sure, whatever. I'll see you in a while." I prepared to hang up.

"Oh wait. Bella? One more thing! I have great news!"

"What?"

"Emmett called me last night. His next break started earlier than he expected, and he flew home! He got in this morning, so maybe I'll see you there! He was just going to shower and clean up and then call me back."

"Wait, what?" _No, dear God, please no._ "Emmett's…home?" I closed my eyes.

"I sure am, beautiful Bella. And MAN it's good to be home!"

I whirled, and there stood Emmett, grinning like the Cheshire Cat as he took in my now full-frontal nudity before him.

"Uh, Rose, I gotta go."

I ran for the bedroom, Emmett's deep laughter rolling behind me.

_

**EPOV**

"Unf!" Bella plowed into me and buried herself under the covers. "Bella, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Her voice was muffled by the blankets. "But I can never, ever, ever look your brother in the eye again."

"My brother, what?" _What does Emmett have to do with anything?_

She opened a gap in the cover and looked up at me.

"Emmett's home." She blushed crimson. "He's in the kitchen."

I started laughing.

"So you were…and he was…" I could hardly get the words out.

"YES!" She pulled the covers down over her head again.

"Em!" I called out. "Yo Em! You here?"

"Don't bring him in here!" Bella groaned. I laughed again. A minute later Emmett appeared at the door, an enormous bowl of cereal in his hands.

"Hey bro," he smiled. "I see you have some company."

From beneath the covers, Bella whimpered. I grinned back at Emmett.

"You remember Bella, right Em?" I was enjoying this. Perhaps too much. Bella shifted strangely under the covers but stayed quiet this time.

"I'm pretty sure I'll never forget her," Emmett said loudly, making sure Bella could hear. "In fact, I'm certain her image is burned on my brain." He laughed, and I joined him.

"So what brings you home so early?" I asked.

"Well, Jas wrapped sooner than expected and he decided to start his break early; he wanted to spend some time with Alice's family before they come out here…" Emmett went on with his explanation, but I was suddenly unable to focus.

_Oh my God._

Bella's lips wrapped around my cock, and the blood in my body rushed to meet her there.

_She wouldn't. _

_Oh God, she would._

I struggled to pay attention to Emmett. Or at least appear to. But Bella's warm, wet mouth was gliding over me. She teased me with her tongue. I wasn't sure how she could even breathe under there, especially with my now fully engorged dick blocking her airway, but she kept going. I realized the covers were starting to shift with her movements. Any second now Emmett would realize what was going on.

"…so I'm gonna call Rosalie and spend the rest of the day with her, then." He stopped talking, _thank fuck._

"Um, that's great Em. Glad to see you. Could you, er, close the door?" My voice gave me away. He raised an eyebrow, then his glance shifted to the bedclothes. His jaw dropped for a second, then he smiled knowingly at me. I'm pretty sure I would have blushed if there had been any blood left to spare.

"Sure thing, little brother." He backed out. "Oh, and nice tits, Bella!" he called out before disappearing behind the door. Bella bit down lightly on me in response. I jumped.

"Careful, baby!" I choked out. She laughed around me. The vibrations rippled through me and I moaned. I flipped the covers back. She released me and smiled innocently. I gave her as stern a look as I could manage.

"What?" She asked, her voice all sweetness. "I just figured as long as I was down there, I might as well find a way to occupy myself."

I growled at her, and she backed away.

"Well, if you don't want me to continue…" she teased, grinning evilly at me. I grabbed her hand and pulled her to me, kissing her hard. When I released her, I was no longer stern, I was pleading.

"Please, please continue, Bella," I begged.

She smiled again and sat up, pushing me onto my back. She straddled me, her long hair hanging down like curtains between us. She crawled slowly backward, kissing down my chest as she moved. She paused at my nipples and teased them to hardness with her tongue. My breathing was heavy and erratic as I watched her take control of me. Every now and then her eyes would meet mine, and I could see lust and naughty plans behind them. They burned through me. She paused again when her pussy met my straining hard on, and she rubbed her wetness along my length, coating me. I wanted to be inside her again desperately, but I didn't want to break the spell she was casting. I wanted to enjoy every second.

She bent her lips to my body again, trailing her tongue down my abdomen to my pelvis and making me twitch as she kissed and teased the sensitive skin there. I closed my eyes and my head rolled back as I felt her slender fingers around me, using her own juices to lubricate the motion as she squeezed me tightly and moved up and down my shaft, slowly at first, then quickening.

When she took me back into her mouth, combining the taste of my skin with her own flavor, we moaned together. I remembered her taste, and I licked my lips as I imagined myself between her thighs again. I remembered how her body would flush when she came. The thought, and Bella's incredibly talented tongue, soon had my insides clenching and I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Bella!" I gasped. "Oh God, Bella, I'm coming, I'm coming, fucking hell…" I tried to push her away from me, but she held me tighter, moving even faster and increasing the suction. I couldn't take it. I dug my fingers into the mattress as I let go, seeking any purchase to hold me to the bed before I exploded into infinity. I felt my own pulsing against her tongue and the tightening of her throat as she swallowed everything I gave her.

When I was finished, she released me, licking me clean before sitting up. I was sprawled across the bed, exhausted. I rolled my head to look at her.

"You're amazing," I gasped out. "Amazing. Thank you." I kissed her head.

She crawled back up next to me and tucked herself into my chest.

"You're welcome," she answered.

We lay there a while, holding each other. She trailed her fingers through my chest hair. I didn't want the moment to end. I wanted to stay there with her forever, naked and close and as happy as I had been in a long time. Eventually, however, our growling stomachs made it necessary to seek out sustenance. Bella blushed when she realized most of her clothes were still out in the living room, where they'd no doubt also been seen by Emmett. I pulled on a pair of jeans and went out to get them for her. Emmett was nowhere to be seen, and his door was closed. Passing his room, I heard noises inside that made me certain Rosalie had come to visit. I cringed at the mental image and returned to my room.

"I think Rosalie is here," I told Bella as I handed over her clothes. She pulled her jeans and shirt on without underwear or bra, and I filed that bit of knowledge away for later.

"I'm not surprised," she laughed. "Rose has been impossible to live with since Emmett left. She's not one to handle sexual deprivation well, Skype or no Skype."

"You mean, she hasn't been with anyone?" I couldn't help my curiosity, given what my brother had told me when he'd called earlier in the week. Bella quirked an eyebrow at me.

"Nope, no one, unless you count…" She blushed. "Unless you count kissing me."

"Does that count?" I asked. I didn't want to dismiss her relationship with Rosalie anymore than I already had done, but I wasn't sure what else to say.

"Not really, I guess," she answered. "It wasn't like it was going to lead anywhere else. It's just something we do—or, rather, did, I guess. She's pretty hung up on your brother."

"He's pretty hung up on her, too." I smiled. "I'm happy for them both."

"Me too," she smiled in return. "And you know, I'm…I'm pretty hung up on _his_ brother."

I could feel my smile widen exponentially.

"He's pretty hung up on you, too."

I took her hand and we left the room together in search of breakfast.

**As always, thanks for reading! **

**Story Note:**

_**Love Actually**_** is a fabulous romantic comedy with an all-star cast that includes Hugh Grant (as Prime Minister, of all things), Liam Neeson, Colin Firth (Darcy! Yum!), Laura Linney, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, and others. It chronicles all different kinds of love—friendship, family, unrequited, unexpected, broken, lost, found, sought, and blissful. If you haven't seen it, GO NOW.**


	10. Chapter 10: Days of Wine and Roses

**Chapter 10: Days of Wine and Roses**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

I didn't get a chance to talk to Rosalie over the next few days. She and Emmett rarely came up for air, and Edward and I weren't exactly out and about much either. We sort of alternated apartments as well, each couple giving the other space (and sparing all of us from having to listen to each other's respective sexual orations). Every once in a while we would meet up all together in one place, but then we would either order in or go out as a group. The weekend flew by.

As the week began, Edward brought his laptop and research materials to my apartment so we could do some work, but we inevitably found ourselves otherwise occupied. I started to worry that we would burn out and get bored of each other if we kept up our current pace, so on Wednesday I put my foot down.

"Work," I groaned as I dragged myself out of Edward's arms that morning. "Must…work…"

Okay, so it wasn't so much putting my foot down as surrendering to the need to meet my deadline and get paid. Edward mumbled something unintelligible and rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head. I was just wrapping up when he appeared a few hours later, showered and shirtless.

_Hummina hummina._

"Good morning, er…afternoon," he smiled, taking the mug of coffee I held out for him. "Thanks." He sat down at Rose's desk and opened his laptop while I pulled together something to eat. "Did you get your work done?"

"Pretty much. I still have a few little details to finish, but I needed to step away from it for a while. My eyes were crossing." I was only half joking. "Did you enjoy your rest, lazybones?" I teased.

"Not especially." He grinned at me. "The bed was too empty and cold." He turned his attention back to his laptop. "Hey, I have an E-mail from Jasper," he said. "He and Alice are in Biloxi with her family, but they'll be here in a couple of days."

"Really? They're coming here?"

"Didn't I tell you? Yeah, they're coming out here for a while, they'll be staying with my parents."

I was surprised.

"With your parents? Is that safe? I mean, I don't know, what if they get spotted or something?" I had no idea what the protocol was for hosting a major Hollywood celebrity and paparazzi magnet. Come to think of it, I had no idea how to act around such a person either. I was suddenly nervous.

"Nah, it'll be fine," Edward assured me. "Jasper's fans think he's from Texas. He was born there, but he spent a good chunk of his life here in Phoenix. He had his publicist play up the Texas thing, though, so he could put on that 'aw shucks, darlin' persona he's so famous for." Edward chuckled. "With the fame thing hitting so hard and fast, though, it's worked out in his favor, because he can usually lay low here."

"So then, I guess with them in town, and at your parents, I won't get to see much of you for a while." I was suddenly depressed at the idea of spending more time away from Edward, but I assumed he'd want to spend time with his family and friends.

"Uh…er, yeah, I guess," he sounded surprised, as though he hadn't considered it. I turned to him. He looked crestfallen.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Well, I guess I hoped you'd want to come meet them with me," he said quietly.

_Oh._

"Meet…you mean, meet Jasper and Alice? Or meet your parents?"

"Both."

I wasn't sure I was ready to meet the parents yet. Wasn't it too soon? This was going so fast. And then on top of that, I have to meet Edward's lifelong friend, who just so happens to be the most famous man on the planet.

_No pressure or anything._

"Bella." He was watching my face, and I wondered what exactly he was seeing there. "Why are you so nervous all of a sudden?"

"Oh, no reason. You've just asked me to meet one of _People_ magazine's Sexiest Men Alive AND your parents at the same time. But why would I be nervous?" I attempted a smile to make it seem like a joke, but he saw through it.

"Bella, Jasper is just a guy I know, okay? He's a good guy that's had a lot of crazy shit happen to him in a very short period of time. And Alice…well, Alice is a force all her own; tornadoes don't have as much energy and enthusiasm. You'll love her."

"And your parents? Truth be told, they make me more nervous than Jasper does."

He held out his arms, and I climbed into his lap.

"My parents, my mother especially, will love you. She's worried about me a lot lately, and it makes her blissfully happy that I'm seeing someone."

"So they already know about me?" I was surprised now.

"Of course. My mother was the one who did the calligraphy on your scroll." He smiled sheepishly. "I told her about you the night of our dinner date. I…er…had some trouble getting home that night and my parents had to pick me up."

I remembered his message about getting home several hours after our date ended.

"What kind of trouble?"

He actually blushed.

"I, uh, got pulled over for speeding, and then I got arrested because of the wine I'd had at dinner. Well, technically I wasn't 'arrested'; the cop took me down to the station for a blood alcohol test and I wasn't legally drunk so they let me go, but yeah, I got sidetracked to jail for a few hours that night."

I covered my mouth with my hands, partly in surprise, and partly to stifle a laugh.

"Oh geez, and here I thought the way I sort of abandoned you was the worst part of that night."

I flinched as the words came out, remembering how I'd abruptly dismissed him. "I'm so sorry, Edward."

"For what, exactly?" he asked. "For abandoning me or for my night in jail?"

"Both, I guess," I answered. "I mean, I suppose you wouldn't have been speeding—or even driving—at that moment if I hadn't…so in a way that's my fault too. But I'm mostly sorry for disappearing on you like that."

"And you're not going to explain why you did that, are you?"

_Haven't we discussed this already?_ I was suddenly annoyed.

"I told you, I can't. I have to talk to Rosalie, and I haven't been able to do that lately, in case you haven't noticed." I stood up and made to walk away from him, but he caught my hand.

"You're right, I'm sorry," he said. "I won't push anymore."

"Thank you." I leaned down and kissed his head.

"You still haven't given me an answer, you know," he looked up at me. I was confused.

"About what?"

He laughed.

"About Jasper and my parents, remember?"

"Oh, right." I hesitated.

"Would it help if I told you that Emmett's inviting Rosalie as well?"

"He is?" That definitely sounded better. At least I'd have a better chance of holding my own with both Edward and Rosalie there to deflect attention. Edward nodded.

"If he hasn't already," he answered. "So?"

I hesitated for another moment, then nodded in return.

"Yes, okay. I'll go with you. Just let me know when."

Edward's face lit up. If I'd realized it would make him so happy, I would have accepted sooner.

"Thank you Bella," he said, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close so his head was pressed to my chest. "It'll be fine, don't worry. I'll be there, Rose will be there, and everyone will love you."

_God, I sure hope so. _

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Jasper and Alice were due in on Friday, so Edward, Emmett, and their parents planned to do dinner together Saturday night. By mutual agreement we all went back to our own apartments that morning so we'd have time to get ready. As I was leaving Edward's apartment I bumped into Emmett coming from Rose. He was whistling.

"Hello there, Tits!" he called. I blushed.

"Em, you'd better not let Rose hear you call me that. She's quite proud of the fact that hers are bigger than mine!"

"No worries, Beautiful Bella, I told Rose ALLLLL about our little encounter in the kitchen." He winked at me. "She's quite jealous now, you know. I'll bet she murders you on sight when you get home."

I laughed.

"Rose won't murder me anytime soon, Emmett. She's too eager to tell me every last detail about your anatomy, skills, and favorite positions for that."

His answering laugh was thunderous.

"You're probably right!" He slapped me on the back. I'm sure he meant it to be gentle, but I was momentarily breathless. "Well, better get home then, so you can find out exactly what you're missing!"

I winked at him. "See you later, Em."

He grinned. "You too, Tits."

On the drive back to my apartment, I tried to think of ways to convince Rose to let me tell Edward about our history and the agreement. In every scenario, she shut me down. If I couldn't convince her in my own imagination, how was I going to do it in reality? As I let myself in, I heard her calling me from her bedroom.

"Is that you Bella?"

"Yeah, it's me." I put my keys and bag on the counter and went to her room. Rose was sprawled across the bed, hair mussed, a couple of supermarket tabloids scattered around her.

"Rosalie, _what_ are you reading?"

"Oh my GOD, you are not going to believe what Emmett told me. Guess who Emmett works for? You'll never guess."

"Jasper Whitlock," I smirked as I sat down beside her.

"BELLA! You know? I told Emmett not to tell you, I wanted to tell you myself!"

"Nobody told me. I found out by accident." I reached to the bed and shuffled through her magazines. Sure enough, there was a copy of the same issue I'd seen Emmett in. I held it out to her.

"Page 37."

"Well, DUH, I know that _now_. How long have _you_ known?"

"I found it the day I met Edward in Wildflower Cafe. I'd just seen the picture and was going to call you, but he interrupted me. It came up in the conversation, and he confirmed it. I promised him I wouldn't say anything; it seemed like kind of a big secret. I assumed Emmett would tell you eventually."

She pouted. "I can't believe you didn't tell ME!"

"Come on, I'm sure Emmett would have been upset if I had. It would have taken the wind right out of his rather large sails." I chuckled.

She smiled. "True. And that's not all he has that's large…" She waggled her eyebrows at me.

"Ugh, no no _NO._ I do _NOT_ want to hear about my boyfriend's brother's penis!"

"Well I sure as hell want to hear about Edward's, so spill it!" She tossed a pillow at me. "You owe me that much for keeping secrets from me and for flashing MY boyfriend!"

I ignored her.

"So if you just found out about Jasper, what did Emmett tell you about dinner tonight?"

"I thought we were just having dinner with his parents. Then yesterday morning he tells me no, his friend Jasper's in town for a bit and he wants me to meet him. I'm like, sure, okay, whatever, right? Then he tells  
me, 'Rosie baby'—"

"Rosie?"

"Yeah, he's still calling me by that stupid nickname. I don't know, it's growing on me I guess. It works for Emmett, anyway." She shook her head in disbelief. "So yeah, he says 'Rosie baby, I should warn you about Jasper' and I'm like, what, is he a perv or something? And then Em's like, 'he's Jasper Whitlock, you know, the actor dude?' And I'm thinking, Oh FUCK!"

"I know, I felt kind of the same way when Edward said he wanted me to meet him. Like, what the fuck am I gonna say to this guy?"

"Say to him? Bella, do you have any idea how much of a crush I have on Jasper Whitlock?"

My jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

"OhmiGod, Bells, I _love_ Jasper. He's got the most adorable accent and this sort of fuck-you-hard grin…" She drifted off. I was in shock.

"How did this never come up before?"

"I don't know! I thought you knew. But seriously, how am I going to do this? How am I going to deal with my _boyfriend_ introducing me to my _fantasy_ man?"

"Oh God, no, Rose, please tell me Jasper's not…"

"Yep." She cringed. "Jasper Whitlock is the man who kept my imagination warm on lonely nights. Before  
Emmett, of course."

_And I thought I had trouble._

"Well, if it helps any, Edward says the accent's mostly put on." I shrugged my shoulders. "Sorry babe, I don't know what to tell you. I was kinda counting on you to be my buffer tonight from Edward's mom and Jasper and all, but it sounds like you're gonna need all the help you can get."

She flopped face first into her pillow and groaned loudly.

I sat and debated for a moment about bringing up my situation with Edward. Rosalie was already knee deep in her little drama, perhaps it would be better to put off more serious things.

Then again, it would certainly be a distraction.

"Rose…" I hesitated. She was still buried in her pillow. "Rose, I kinda need to talk to you."

She lifted her head.

"What's up?" My face must have alerted her to something, because she sat up. "You're okay, right? Everything's okay with you and Edward?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just…Rose, I need to tell him."

She cocked her head at me and frowned.

"Tell him what, exactly?"

"You know what."

She rubbed her face in exasperation.

"I can't believe this. Bella…why? Why is it _so_ essential to tell him anything?"

I dropped my head. "I…I've had nightmares. The usual ones. And Edward's really understanding and he  
wants to help, but I can't even tell him what they're about."

"Nightmares." She spat the word out. "You want to ruin everything because of nightmares."

I flinched at the anger in her voice.

"I just want him know me. He listens, Rose. I'm talking in my sleep, and he's listening. If I don't tell him the  
truth, he's going to figure it out eventually anyway. He's already asking questions I can't answer. But I want to give him answers. I want to give him everything he deserves. He loves me."

Her jaw dropped about 6 inches. "He said that?"

"Yeah."

"What did _you_ say?"

"Nothing. I couldn't say anything. How can I? The man barely knows me. He thinks he loves me, and I really, really like him. I want to love him. But I'm afraid. I'm afraid to believe in anything good when there's so much of myself I'm keeping from him."

She frowned at me again. "Bella, the things that have happened to us are not who we are. They are just bad things that happened in the past. They don't make up our personalities, or whatever. You're not keeping yourself from him. You're just omitting details. That's all."

"Well those are pretty fucking big details, babe, don't you think?" I stood up and began pacing the room.  
"I've been dealing with this for too long. I can't do it anymore. I can't keep this locked inside me forever just to satisfy our bank accounts. Edward's a good man. He won't tell anyone if I ask him not to. I'll make him swear not to tell Emmett even, so you can go on pretending your life is peachy keen fun and games. But I'm tired of running away and hiding in corners. It's not like I'm asking to take out a full-page ad in the paper. I'm asking you to let me tell the man I love about myself. I know this is a risk. I get that. I wouldn't ask at all if I had any doubts about Edward."

She stared at me in surprise for a moment. "The man you love."

"Fuck it—yeah, the man I love." I threw up my hands in frustration. "I care about him. I want him in my life. I can't imagine being away from him. We have this weird electric connection that I can't even begin to explain. So yeah. As irrational and unexpected and inconvenient as it may be, I do. I love him."

I sat down beside her.

"Don't you see, Rose? Eventually we're gonna _want_ to tell someone. Sure, in a few months we'll have the money and you'll have your divorce and we can really start living. But that won't free us. We'll be bound forever to this ridiculous agreement. How are we really going to be able to live? I don't want to end up alone with only the money to keep me company. I want happiness and love. I want _you_ to find happiness and love. And all the money in the world isn't going to make up for losing men like Edward, or Emmett, or anyone else who might someday come along."

I shook my head and stared out the window.

"If we continue to live by the agreement, we'll never be free of them. Royce and James will be with us forever. I'm sorry, but I'd rather be broke and happy and in love with Edward than rich and alone and living by Royce King's rules. When we made the agreement, I had nothing else to look forward to and sleepless nights and a body that cried out for revenge. I wanted them to pay, and there was no other way. But I've come to feel differently, for myself. Yeah, the money will help. But I'm ready to move on. I've kept to the agreement because I know it means much more to you than it does to me. But I'm asking you to let me out. Let me have this one breach. I need it."

I was afraid to look at her, so I looked down at my hands while I waited for her answer.

"Go away," she said quietly.

"Rose—" My heart dropped.

"Go away now, Bella. Leave me alone."

"Rose, please don't do this. Don't be angry. Please!" I begged.

"If you really want this, you'll leave me alone so I can think." She gestured to the door. "Go."

Reluctantly I got up and walked to the door. I looked back, but she was laying down again, facing away from me.

"Close the door" was the last thing she said. I pulled it shut behind me.

_What had I done?_

_

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_

**Rosalie POV**

I wanted the bastard to pay for what he'd done. I wanted every penny I'd been promised. None of it would ever make up for the damage he had caused me and Bella, but it would mean independence.

Bella had always taken it harder than I had. Maybe that was because I got a pound of flesh already, and she was still waiting for hers. Maybe it was because she was missing pieces from that night, her memory still a blank after all this time. She hadn't missed that much, mostly the aftermath, but I knew it bothered her.

Or maybe it was just because it was Bella's nature to take everything to heart. I was less about sentiment, more about material gratification.

_I am a weapon of massive consumption. But it's not my fault, it's how I'm programmed to function. _

I smiled. That Lily Allen song was written about me. _It doesn't matter 'cause I'm packing plastic, and that's what makes my life so fucking fantastic._

Oh, if only Bella could see things from my perspective. Once I'd cleaned Royce's bank accounts of every penny he had, we could buy ourselves a whole new future. She didn't get it; she wasn't raised as I was. She was taught to work hard and scrape by. I was taught that being beautiful and rich gave you the keys to the world, and until that night, I'd believed in that ridiculous myth with my whole heart.

I was going to take it all back. He'd fucked with my life—and Bella's—and he was going to pay for it. The sackless piece of shit. And if James hadn't disappeared, I'd have found a way to fuck him over as well. Prick.

Nine months. We'd made it more than nine months. Nearly ten. A few more months and I would have fulfilled my share of our devil's bargain. I could get my divorce and my money and move on with my life.

But now Edward comes along, and Bella wants out.

To be honest, she'd made a good argument. I knew she meant every word, because Bella rarely stood up to me. When she did, it was because she felt strongly about whatever the issue was. The rest of the time she went with the flow. She had a subtle way of handling me that she thought was very sly, but I knew she was doing it. I let her. It was the dynamic of our friendship. I was the powerhouse and the flake, the bimbo with steel beneath her boobs. Bella, on the other hand, had all the steel on the outside. Barbed wire, even. You had to approach her carefully. But when you got past her defenses, she was much softer and much more vulnerable.

Edward had gotten through. _At last._ I thought he'd never stop fucking up. I was still pretty pissed about him ditching her at Denali, the judgmental prick. Bella had tried to explain his history with his ex and some bullshit about feeling inadequate sexually, but I wasn't sure I bought it. I knew Emmett had passed along my messages—I'd threatened to withhold a certain special sexual talent of mine if he didn't—and I had to wonder if Edward would have come through in the end without that push.

But regardless, he _had_ come through. I'd known from that first night in the club that Edward was a good man, and that he would be good for Bella. He'd been clearly attracted to her, but he'd also looked after her in a respectful sort of way that I could see even while drunk. The morning at the diner, her reaction to meeting him confirmed my belief that they were meant for each other.

Of course, I was thinking they'd be fabulous _fuckbuddies._ I hadn't really counted on the whole love thing. I should have known better, I suppose. Bella wasn't like me. She had to have an emotional and a mental connection to the people she slept with. I was happy just getting the peen and having a boytoy to play with.

_Mmmmmm,_ and my current boytoy was quite the distraction. Emmett could do things with his tongue that made even a seasoned veteran like myself wanna sit up and beg for more. And his dick…I swear, that boy had ruined me. While he was away, I actually missed him. Usually I just went in search of another horse to ride until my stallion was back in the stable. But when I was out with Bella these past few weeks, I found myself _uninterested_. I was happier Skype-fucking Emmett and showing him my rather extensive toy collection—and of course demonstrating all their various uses and abilities.

But love? _Fuck no._ Not me. Not Rosalie Hale King, the ice queen. I'm a coldhearted bitch and proud of it.

Not that I didn't want that for myself, someday. I wanted the whole happily ever after thing. I wanted kids—tons of them—and all the fluffy trimmings. I mightc be a bitch, but I have a bit of Disney princess in me as well.

_And if anyone ever finds out, I'll be ruined._

Bella was almost all Disney princess underneath. She wanted to find her Prince Charming and ride off into the sunset in her pumpkin carriage or whatever. The asshole she'd been married to, Jacob, had been her ideal _once upon a time_—so to speak—but, like my own lawfully wedded prick, he hadn't lived up to the fairy tale. She'd been looking for the real thing ever since.

And now she may have actually found it in Edward. Only her past—our past—was keeping her from admitting and accepting how he felt about her, and how she felt about him. Sure, she'd let it slip out in her little tirade, but I knew there was no way she'd bare that part of herself to anyone else, Edward especially, as long as she still doubted his love—or rather, doubted she was worthy of his love. She had such low self-esteem, she always had, even when she was working for Royce and making a real success of herself, she'd never quite believed in it all. She assumed her success was simply the reward for hard work. She never thought of herself as anything special, or interesting, or beautiful.

She was truly beautiful. Inside and out. And I'd seen all of her, body, mind, and heart, so I knew from experience just how worthy she was of love. The real question in my mind was whether Edward deserved _her._

More than any other consideration, it was that lingering doubt that bothered me most about letting Bella share our secret. Was Edward all he seemed to be? Could he be trusted? She'd known him such a short time, and I barely knew him at all.

I would have to know for sure that Edward was someone I could trust before I could let Bella talk to him. I hated that she had to ask me for permission. And I really hated the fact that she was right about the agreement. Sticking to it like we had, like we would have to now and forever, gave Royce power over us in a whole other way. It would mean he won in the end, and my victory over his wallet would be hollow at best.

That decided it for me. I would watch Edward tonight, try to get to know him, and pay attention to how he treated Bella. I would see for myself where he and Emmett had come from and meet their parents. I would get through my—_gulp_—awkward introduction to Jasper Whitlock. And when all was said and done, if I thought Edward could be trusted, I would give Bella my blessing.

Now I only had to decide what I wanted to do about Emmett.

_Should I try to seduce him at his parents' house? Or perhaps a little road head on the ride over? Maybe both…_

Definitely both.

* * *

**This is my first time writing Rosalie POV. She's fun to write!**

**Reviews are welcome, adored, appreciated, and desired... Just sayin. ;)  
**

**Story Notes:**

_**The Days of Wine and Roses**_** is a movie about an alcoholic who falls in love with a young woman and gets her addicted to alcohol as well. Sounds cheery, doesn't it? It was directed by Blake Edwards and stars Jack Lemmon. **

**The Lily Allen song referenced by Rosalie is titled "The Fear."**


	11. Chapter 11: Celebrity

**Chapter 11: Celebrity**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

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**BPOV**

"Would you like another glass of wine, Bella?" Esme was smiling genuinely at me as I sat next to Edward on the sofa.

"No, thank you, Esme," I smiled in return. It was clear to me where Edward got not only his looks but also his kind and patient nature. Esme had the same reddish hair (_titian,_ I thought to myself again with a smile) and green eyes. She was average height, but carried herself in a way that made her seem taller. She was kind, but clearly a force to be reckoned with nonetheless. She owned her own architecture and design business, and their home reflected her incredible taste and talent. Her husband, Carlisle, was a doctor and was a lot like Edward as well, quiet, reserved, but easygoing and quick to smile. I wondered what Emmett's mother had been like and whether his boisterous nature and vast size came from her side of the family.

Edward squeezed my hand gently. He knew how nervous I'd been coming over here, but his parents had put me at ease almost immediately. It helped that Rosalie was here as well to divert some of the attention.

Well, a lot of the attention. You could always count on Rosalie to own a room. She sat perched in her usual elegant style on the edge of an armchair, Emmett sprawled out on the floor at her feet. They could not be more different, yet I could see already that they were fond of each other. Every once in a while Rose would absentmindedly reach down and run her fingers through Emmett's tangle of curls; it was a gesture of affection I'd never seen her make before, and I wondered if she had any idea she was even doing it. Was Rosalie Hale actually _falling_ for someone?

She hadn't said anything further to me about our earlier discussion, and I was afraid to mention it again in case she was really angry with me about it. She seemed to be paying as much attention to Edward as to Emmett, however; I caught her examining him more than once when she thought I wasn't looking or when Edward was talking to someone. I hoped this meant she was giving my request some thought and not dismissing it outright.

"So I go to lift her up, and suddenly I'm doubled up on the floor holdin' onto the family jewels in front of everyone!" Jasper was telling stories from the set of _Near Dawn._ Meeting him had not been the huge event I'd been expecting. If anything, it had been the exact opposite. He was shy at first, polite but quiet until the alcohol started kicking in and loosened everyone's tongues. His girlfriend, Alice, had bubbled over with enthusiasm about everything from Esme's furniture to Rose's shoes to my hairstyle (I'd worn my hair up for a change, but it really wasn't anything special) and especially about Jasper. She was no doubt the single most energetic person I had ever met, but I liked her almost immediately.

I thought Rose liked her too, but it was difficult to tell; whatever Rose was feeling in regard to Jasper, she was doing a much better job of hiding it now than she had at first. She and Emmett had arrived last, so I was able to witness her introduction to Jasper firsthand. When she'd walked through the door her eyes had pinballed around the room looking for him, even as she gripped Emmett's bicep. She'd made it through her introductions to Esme and Carlisle and said hello to me and Edward when Alice bounded forward, pulling Jasper in her wake. Rose had blushed to the roots of her hair so fiercely and then paled so quickly that Emmett actually noticed and became concerned and Esme raced to the kitchen for water.

As wingwoman, it had been my job to cover.

"Oh Rose, did you eat today?" I fussed over her as though this blushing and swooning were a common occurrence and tried to play it off. She smiled at me faintly as Emmett led her to a chair.

"No, I guess I didn't, I was just so busy getting ready for tonight." She took a few breaths and regained her composure. She accepted the water from Esme with thanks. When she was ready, she stood up and extended her hand to Jasper as though nothing had happened.

"So sorry for that. I'm Rosalie. It's nice to meet you." And like that, Rosalie the ice queen was back in control. I had to admire her. She'd made it through dinner and the rest of the evening without a hitch. Now we were all congregated in the enormous family room, each couple paired off and the drinks and stories flowing easily. I found myself feeling much more comfortable and welcome than I'd expected. In truth, I'd had no idea what to expect from this evening. The warmth of Edward's family and their obvious closeness was so different from my own family experience. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper teased and roughhoused like any other brothers. As the youngest, Edward seemed to take the brunt of it, but he was clearly used to it and held his own even when the other two ganged up on him.

I smiled and leaned my head against Edward's shoulder as Carlisle shared stories about some of his patients and Alice described the chaos behind the scenes at her most recent fashion show. There was such a varied collection of people in this room, yet they all seemed to mesh so well together. I had a sudden flare of self-doubt; in my previous life I would have been on a more even level with their success and more able to contribute to the conversation. I had once been successful, well-off, even admired. Now where did I fit in? But as I tensed slightly against him Edward shifted and put his arm around me, and I felt a wave of gratitude and comfort wash over me.

"So Bella," Carlisle called my attention away from Edward. "Edward tells us you do freelance work. What kind of work do you do?"

"Er—" my throat dried out suddenly, and I wished I'd accepted Esme's offer of a drink. "I do some Web site design, a little editing and writing, and occasionally some consulting work. I work mostly with community groups, former clients that I've stayed in touch with, that sort of thing."

"Former clients?" Esme asked. _Oh fuck._

"Yes, I used to work for a company that did business with various organizations, and I made some connections over the years." I hoped they would leave it at that, and I glanced at Rose for support. She took the hint.

"That's how Bella and I met, actually," she interjected. "She was a very professional type but utterly clueless about clothes, so I took her under my wing and taught her the wonders of actually _spending_ her money!"

She laughed. Alice jumped on the clothes comment, and the conversation was directed away from me again. I breathed a sigh of relief and sank back against Edward. He looked down at me quizzically and I shook my head at him slightly. He frowned for a moment but turned back to the party.

As we were taking our leave sometime later, I had the opportunity to speak to Esme in private.

"Thank you, Esme, for the wonderful evening. And thank you for the beautiful calligraphy you did on my scroll from Edward. It was exquisite."

She smiled and gave me a hug.

"Bella, I'm so happy to have met you. Edward seems very happy, and I can only assume that's your doing. It was my pleasure, and I'm glad it helped!" She stepped back, but kept her hands on my arms lightly. Memories twitched at the fringe of my mind, but I stifled them as she smiled at me again.

"Please come by and see us anytime. I'd love to do lunch sometime so we can get to know each other better!"

"I'd like that, Esme," I answered, returning her smile. She released my arms and turned to Rosalie, who had come to say good-bye.

Outside in the driveway, I walked over to Edward, who was standing with Emmett and Jasper.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked. His voice seemed to suggest that he had other plans.

"Uh, yeah, I suppose so, unless you have something else in mind…" I trailed off, not sure if he was trying to get rid of me or include me.

"The guys and I were talking about maybe hitting one of the local dives, maybe play some pool or whatever."

"Oh." I was disappointed to leave him, but as we'd come in my car, I could drive myself home. "Sure, go ahead! Have fun."

He looked at me strangely.

"You don't want to come?"

"I don't want to intrude on guy time…" At that moment Rosalie and Alice arrived.

"Who's up for shooting some pool?" Rose asked excitedly, and I realized this was going to be a group thing. My spirits rose considerably.

I took Edward's arm. "Be careful of Rose, babe. She'll hustle you out of everything you've got on you and then some!" I leaned and whispered in his ear. "And the only one I want taking the shirt off your back is _me._"

Edward beamed. We called for a cab, since none of us intended to stay sober enough to drive, and we were off.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Rose had beaten Emmett three times in a row, and things were getting louder and much more competitive at their table. At another table Alice and I teamed up against Edward and Jasper. The guys won, but it wasn't for lack of trying on our parts to distract them with suggestive bends over the table and increasingly lower bustlines. As our game ended, Jasper grasped Alice's hand and pulled her into a dark corner. Edward pulled me to him for a kiss as well. An eruption of noise from the other side of the bar told us that Emmett had finally beaten Rose, and we laughed as he did a victory dance worthy of a Super Bowl touchdown.

"Well, damn!" Jasper's drawl was starting to show. "Who knew the day would come when Em would get so excited over _finally_ beatin' a girl?"

We all laughed and walked back and slid into the large booth we'd claimed. As we settled in, a woman came over.

"Excuse me, are—are you Jasper Whitlock?" She blushed. "Can I get a picture with you?"

Jasper looked around at us quickly, but none of us said a word. He put on what was clearly a trademark movie-star grin (I think I saw Rosalie twitch) and nodded.

"Well, sure thang, darlin'! Here, lemme stand up. Give yer phone to m'friend Emmett here and he'll take it fer us, won't you Em?"

Emmett had obviously had to deal with this kind of situation before. He took the phone and snapped a quick picture. The girl was shaking slightly as she took the phone back.

"Thank you Jasper!" She practically squealed as she bounced away. Jasper sat back down.

"Sorry about that." He was blushing! For the first time, I realized exactly how weird it must be for such a normal, easygoing guy to be the center of so much attention.

"Oh Jazz, you made her night!" Alice reassured him.

"Love that down-home accent ya got thar," Edward teased, exaggerating the accent. "No wonder them ladies git so hot n' heavy fer ya."

Jasper laughed. "Shut up, asshole."

We sat and drank a while longer, just laughing and having a good time. It was the most fun I'd had in quite a while, and the more drunk we got, the more I could feel Edward next to me. I started running my fingers along the inseam of his jeans beneath the table, tracing up and down, and he pulled me closer to him in response.

"What are you doing to me, Bella?" He growled low in my ear. His breath was hot on my skin. I gripped his leg hard, then dragged my hand up to where I could feel his erection already pushing back against the restraint of his zipper.

I turned and leaned toward him.

"I want you," I answered as I teased him more. _Oh how I wanted him._

"Come with me." He stood up abruptly, startling me. I took his extended hand and stood.

"Where are we going?" I glanced back at the table. The other couples were engrossed in each other, but I did see Rose look my way with an all-too-knowing smirk.

Edward pulled me past the bar toward the back, and my nerves stood on end and vibrated with the possibilities of what he might have in mind. We'd barely made it into the dark hallway before he was pressing me into the wall and his lips were at my neck. He took my hand and brought it down to him, encouraging me to touch him.

"Feel me, Bella. Feel how much I want you."

I moaned as my fingers traced the long, hard lines of his cock through his jeans. I had to have it. I wanted him inside me, now. I deftly opened his jeans and slid my hand inside. He groaned and kissed me hard as I stroked and squeezed him.

"Fuuuuuck…" he growled. He lifted his head and looked around, then pulled open the ladies' room door. It was unoccupied, thank God. "In here," he gasped out, still kissing me as he walked me backward into the room and pulled the door closed behind us. Alone at last, we attacked each other. Edward unbuttoned my blouse impatiently, nearly taking several buttons off in the process. He bent down and lifted my skirt, kissing my thighs as his hands sought my panties and tore them from me. I gasped in surprise at his fervor, but it made me want him even more, and I could feel the dampness between my legs increase.

"Edward," I moaned.

"Fuck Bella," he answered as he stood up again. "I want to feel how much you want me." And with that he slid a finger into me, causing my knees to buckle. "So wet." He toyed with me, adding a second finger and plunging them deep inside as his thumb teased me. He pulled his fingers away then and brought them to his lips.

"You taste so good, Bella," he said. "I want so badly to taste you and tease you all night." He kissed me harder then, and I could taste myself on him. I threw my arms around him and he lifted me, setting me down on the counter at the same moment he pushed himself deep inside me.

"Unnnngh, oh God…Edward… fuck!" I panted and gasped as he pounded into me, hard, again and again. I had to lean back to brace myself, and it changed the angle, making us both cry out.

"Fucking hell, Bella, you should see how hot this looks," he said suddenly. I opened my eyes and realized he was watching us in the mirror behind me.

"Let me watch too." His eyes widened in surprise as I pushed him away from me and climbed off the counter, then turned to face the mirror. His reflection showed another moment of surprise, but as I bent forward and lifted my skirt again for him, his eyes darkened and I could see the lust take over. I reached back and unhooked my bra as well, lifting it so my breasts fell into view in the mirror.

"Fuck me, Edward. Let me see you fuck me." I told him. It was the last coherent sentence I was able to put together. Edward entered me, his hands gripping my hips so hard I feared bruises. I braced myself and opened my eyes so I could watch his reactions, but it was difficult to maintain my focus. His face was intense as he stared back at me in the mirror. He leaned forward against my back and brought his hands to my breasts, watching his own fingers and my face as he toyed with my nipples, his cock still burying itself deeper and deeper inside me. I fought the need to close my eyes at the sensation, and I was rewarded with a low moan as Edward tried to hold himself back long enough.

Our eyes met and held in the mirror, and he moved one hand down to touch me and tease me further, bringing me to the edge. He drilled himself into me harder, deeper, and I let go, losing myself in the feel of him.

"Ungh, oh Bella, Bella…" I forced my eyes open again in time to see his face contort in ecstasy and to feel him pulsing inside me. He leaned forward against me heavily as he released, and he rested his cheek a moment against my back before kissing my shoulder and standing up. I turned toward him again and we kissed for a long moment before a knock on the door startled us.

"Bella, Edward, I know you guys are in there. You'd better come out, we have to go." Emmett's voice sounded strained. Edward and I looked at each other quizzically, then I turned back to the sink to clean up while Edward went to the door and opened it a crack.

"What's up, Em?"

Emmett's voice was a little louder now, and the concern in it was more clear.

"We have to go, man. Jasper's been tweeted."

"Fuck!" Edward swore. "We'll be out in a second. You got a cab coming?"

"Yeah, it's on its way. We'll have to go out the back. The door's just around the corner here."

Edward nodded. "Okay, we'll be right there." He closed the door. "Shit."

"What does that mean, he's been tweeted?" I asked as I found my underwear. It was torn, so I shoved it deep in the bathroom trash can. Edward raised an eyebrow at me and I shrugged. "Can't exactly wear them," I smirked.

He smiled back, then his face was serious again.

"It means that chick with the camera or someone else in the bar has posted Jasper's whereabouts on Twitter and the word has gotten out. Could mean just fangirls, or it could be paparazzi. Either way, we've gotta go before it gets out of hand."

I fixed my rumpled hair and straightened my skirt as best I could.

"Paparazzi?" I asked nervously. Edward washed his hands and fixed his own hair as best he could.

"Yeah." He turned to me. "I'm sorry about this, Bella." He stepped forward and opened the door a crack to see if anyone was around. When it was clear, he opened it and let me pass ahead of him. "Just keep your head down and move fast to the cab. If there are paparazzi out there, don't answer anything they shout at you, no matter what it is, okay?"

"Uh, sure." Edward wasn't fooled.

"It'll be okay, I promise." He opened his arms and I flew into them and held on as we walked around the corner to where the others were waiting. Emmett turned to us.

"Edward, I need you to help Rose and Bella, I gotta get Jas and Alice to the car. Can you do that?"

Rosalie frowned. "Emmett, I can damn well take care of myself." Emmett didn't answer, but as Rose turned away he glanced at us, and I felt Edward nod slightly. Emmett threw open the door and hustled Jasper and Alice out ahead of him. A blast of noise rose from the alley, and flashbulbs popped.

Fangirls _and_ paparazzi.

"Jasper! Jasper! This way! Look this way! Alice!" Voices yelled out from all directions, mixed in with hysterical screaming. Rose stepped out after Emmett, and Edward and I followed closely. I was blinded by the flashing lights, but Edward led me forward and into the cab, then stepped in and slid the door shut.

"Go!" Emmett bellowed at the driver from the front seat. We pulled away as quickly as we could, leaving the crowd of fans screaming behind us.

"What a fucking circus," Rose muttered.

"Sorry y'all," Jasper called out from the back row, where he was holding Alice. They looked slightly shaken. I felt bad for them both.

"Nothing to apologize for, Jasper," I said quietly. "Are you guys okay?" Edward tightened his hold on me slightly.

"Yes, we're fine," Alice piped up. "It's just really hard to get used to the screaming. I mean, I'm used to the cameras from my shows and all, but the screams are just…" she trailed off, shaking her head. Edward leaned down to me.

"Are _you_ all right?" he asked quietly.

I nodded. "Yes, I'm okay. Thank you for getting me through it, though. I think I would have just frozen like a deer in headlights if you hadn't pulled me along." I tried to smile at him in reassurance. "Does this happen a lot?"

"Not a lot, not for me anyway," he answered, still whispering. "Jasper's only been home a few times since _Near Dawn_ came out and this insanity started, and most of the time he's been able to fly under the radar. But there have been a couple of close calls. But Emmett's _always_ dealing with this, so I know how to handle it from him, mostly."

From the front seat I could hear Emmett instructing the cabbie to drive around a bit, just in case we were being followed. He didn't want us to lead anyone back to Esme and Carlisle's house. It was decided that we would all stay there for the night, since none of us could drive anyway, and Edward called ahead to warn his parents. With that taken care of, we drove around Phoenix in silence for several minutes.

Then Emmett spoke up.

"So, Bella, how were the bathrooms in that place?"

Edward and I both blushed, but we laughed along with the others. Leave it to Emmett to break the ice.

With a sledgehammer.

* * *

**EPOV**

"Here, these should fit you well enough." I handed Bella an old oversized t-shirt and a pair of my boxers. We were up in my room at my parents' house. Mom and Carlisle had greeted us at the door, and Mom had ushered us all into the kitchen for a late snack and drink (of water, as ordered by Dr. Dad) while we filled them in on our night. Then we'd all paired off to our rooms. It was strange having Bella here in my childhood bedroom. She wandered around, looking at the old posters on my walls and my old baseball trophies, still displayed in the antique case my mother had found at some estate sale or something.

"Do you miss it?" Bella asked suddenly. "Baseball, I mean."

"A little," I answered. "I mean, I still play sometimes in local leagues or at family barbecues with Emmett and Jas and our cousins, but yeah, I kinda miss the thrill of a real game." She sat down on the edge of the bed and I joined her there.

"Are you sure you're all right, Bella?" I asked. "I'm really sorry about how things went tonight."

She looked sideways at me. "I'm not the least bit sorry about tonight," she replied. "In fact, parts of it were absolutely incredible." Her lips curled into an evil grin.

"That's not what I meant." I could feel myself getting hard again at the memory. Taking Bella in the bathroom, watching her come as I fucked her, seeing us together like that…fuck, I was totally hard again.

"You seem to have a problem," she grinned at me. "Let me help." And with that, she pinned me to the bed.

_God, I love this woman. _

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The next morning, I came downstairs while Bella showered to find Jasper, Alice, and Emmett crowded around Mom's laptop.

"What's the damage?" I asked, knowing they were seeing what had come of last night's adventure.

"Well, the pictures from the alley are the usual shots." Emmett answered. The way he said it made me nervous.

"From the alley? As in, there are some _NOT_ from the alley?"

They all looked up at me. Jasper answered.

"Well, apparently our fangirl took more than one picture with that cellphone. There are shots of all of us at the table, playing pool, stuff like that. Her blog's been linked from some of the Twitter sites, so all of her pictures are up for anyone to see."

I leaned over their shoulders. "Let me see them."

Emmett flipped through the photos, all of them blurry and grainy from the lack of a flash; apparently this girl knew enough to turn off the flash while taking invasive fucking pictures of people. It was the last photo that had me most concerned, however.

"Oh fuck." They all looked at me. "Why the fuck is she posting that? I'm nobody. Bella's nobody!"

Emmett looked up at me from his chair.

"Just be glad it was a dark hallway, bro. These crazy chicks, dude, they will latch on to anyone even remotely connected with Jas if they can. That makes you and me and Bella and Rose celebrities by association."

Jasper flipped to another site. This one was full of paparazzi shots, much clearer and better lit. There was Emmett ushering Jasper and Alice to the cab; Rose walking with her head high, of course, a look of absolute disgust on her face; and me and Bella, holding onto each other as I led her to the van. She looked flustered but beautiful.

"What the—?" Emmett flipped back to the picture of Rosalie. "How the hell do they know that?"

I looked at the caption. _Jasper Whitlock and Alice Brandon are joined by Rosalie Hale King and friends for drinks last night in Phoenix._

Rosalie Hale _King?_

"Her married name was King?" I asked.

"Still is," Emmett answered. "But how the hell do the paps know who Rosie is?"

"They don't." A cold voice spoke from the kitchen doorway. "They know my ex-husband. That's all."

Rosalie crossed the room and looked over Emmett's shoulder. "Not a bad picture. I've seen worse." She put her hand on Emmett's shoulder. He looked bewildered.

"Wait, Rosie. Your ex-husband is, like, famous or something?"

She shook her head. "Notorious, maybe, but not famous outside Phoenix. One of the paps must have been a local."

Bella walked in then. "What's up?" she asked, looking around and sensing the tension. We were all staring at Rosalie, who was now pouring herself coffee as though there was nothing going on at all.

"We made the Internet, apparently," Rose answered, giving Bella a significant look that I couldn't translate. Bella's eyes widened. "One of the jerks outside the bar apparently recognized me. _No big deal._" She emphasized the words, still staring intently at Bella. I saw Bella take a breath as though composing herself.

"Oh, is that all? Well, let me see them then, do I look good?" She put on a smile and joined us at the laptop.

"Um, Bella, there's one you should see," I said quietly. I nodded to Jasper and he flipped back to the fangirl's blog. The picture was still up, and Bella whitened slightly.

"Wow," she whispered. "They don't pull any punches with these things, do they?" She looked back over her shoulder at Rose, who came to see as well.

"Well damn, Bella, look at you! Thank fuck for crappy cellphone cameras, huh?" Rosalie walked away again, back toward the stairs. "Em, baby, I need your _help_ upstairs…."

Emmett shot up out of his seat and vanished up the steps behind Rose, grinning at us all as he went.

"Duty calls!" He yelled behind him.

"What was that all about?" Alice asked, looking at me and Bella. I shook my head and shrugged, looking to Bella as well. Jasper turned in his chair. Bella looked around at us all.

"Er—what?" She bit her lip and looked away, a sure sign she was nervous.

"Bella, who is Rose's ex-husband?" I asked.

"He's just something of a local bigshot, that's all." She glanced at me as she headed for the stairs. "Listen, I should get going. I have some things I need to do today. Edward, can you get a ride home with Emmett?"

"Uh, yeah, I guess." _What?_

"Great. I'll just get my things and get out of here then." She walked quickly over to me and kissed me, then disappeared. I stood there, not quite sure what to do. Alice and Jasper were exchanging puzzled looks as well.

"Excuse me," I said, as I went after Bella. When I got to my room, it was empty. I heard a car start in the driveway; she'd gone down the other staircase.

She was running again.

* * *

**Now you've met everyone, what do you think? Things will begin to pick up in the next chapter, and the whole story of Bella and Rosalie's past will be revealed very soon, I promise. **

**Story Note: **

_**Celebrity**_** is a 1998 Woody Allen film. Leonardo DiCaprio has a small role in it, hot on the heels of the insanity he experienced after **_**Titanic.**_** It seemed appropriate given Jasper's paparazzi stalkers. I could go on a tirade about fangirls and stalkers, but maybe I'll just save that for my blog, hm? **

**Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12: Scream

**Chapter 12: Scream**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

Yeah, so, the running away thing was getting pretty old. Even for me.

I let myself into the apartment and sighed in relief. This morning's escape wasn't about hiding from the memories or the fear, at least. Instead, it was about avoiding the inquisition. Left hanging in the kitchen by Rosalie, I'd been completely at a loss as to how to answer Edward's questions or the inevitable follow-ups from Alice or Jasper. The only solution was disappearing as quickly as possible. My phone had rung several times with calls from Edward, but I'd let them go to voicemail until I could compose myself. As I set my purse and keys down on the counter, the phone rang again. The screen flashed a blocked number. I was torn between my concern that it was something important and my fear that it was still Edward, calling from a different phone. Before I could decide whether to answer, the ringing stopped. A moment later, the voicemail indicator chirped.

I dialed into my voicemail.

_"It wasn't very bright, keeping your old number, Isabella."_ The voice on the message made my whole body go cold.

James.

_"Looks like you're keeping some famous company these days. Must be nice, being so popular. I had a life once too, Isabella. I had it all. Now I have nothing. If you and the ice bitch think I'm gonna sit by and watch while you get everything, you are mistaken."_

Click.

For several minutes I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. The last time I'd heard that voice, it had been in my ear, breathing hot, whiskey-heavy air into my face.

_You think you're something special, don't you Isabella? Fucking cock tease in your skirts and heels. I'm gonna have my turn with you, Isabella. I'm gonna watch you perform, and then I'm gonna have you for myself. _

Suddenly my heart was pounding in a panic. I flew to the door and checked the locks. I pulled the curtains over the blinds. It wasn't enough. I wasn't safe enough. In the kitchen I grabbed a knife. I slid along the walls, my eyes searching everywhere. Did he know where I lived? Could he get in? Was he here already? Every horror movie and crime drama cliché I'd ever heard of ran through my head, increasing my panic level exponentially. I darted across the hall into my bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind me. I threw open the closet door and crawled in among my shoes. I pulled the vented door shut and peered through the slats, watching for any sign of him.

_Help,_ I thought. _I needed help. Rose? Edward? The police?_

I looked around and then crumpled in defeat. I'd left my phone somewhere _out there._

It wasn't safe to go out there anymore.

James was back.

* * *

**Rosalie POV**

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

What the fuck?

"Rosalie, it's Edward. I need to talk to you."

I looked down at Emmett. Was he really going to let his brother _interrupt_ us?

"Edward, man, come back later!" He hollered. "Keep goin' baby," he begged me in a quieter voice.

_Bam! Bam! Bam!_

"Rose, it's about Bella." Edward's voice was slightly apologetic, but also sounded concerned. Fucking hell, what did she do now? I dismounted Emmett (he was rather like riding a horse, after all) and grabbed a sheet. Em whined in response.

"Rosieeee…"

I shushed him and wrapped myself in the sheet before opening the door a crack.

"What the fuck, Edward?" I snapped out at him. "What's wrong?"

"She's gone," he explained. The bewilderment on his face was clear. I gestured to him to keep his voice down. He nodded.

"Whatever all this hush hush bullshit is between you and her, it's spooked her again. She left." He threw his hands up. "I don't know what to do. I'm not allowed to ask questions, and I although I assume she went home, I don't know if I'm the person she wants to see. She won't tell me anything and says it's up to you. So I'm asking _you_ now. What the hell is up with you two?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "It's none of your damn business, Edward." I opened the door wider and faced him. "When she and I have decided what we want to share and what we want to keep to ourselves, then you'll hear whatever it is we think you need to hear. Until then, what's between me and Bella is our business and no one else's."

"So there _is_ something, then." Edward's face turned pleading. "Rose, I just want to know her. I want to help her, if I can. Whatever it is, it scares her, and I feel completely helpless here." He reached his hands up and pulled at his hair. "Give me something. Please."

"Edward, man, wrap it up, dude!" Emmett called out from behind me.

"One more minute baby," I called to him, then turned back to Edward.

"Bella's a big girl, Edward. I'm sure she's fine. Let me and Emmett have a few minutes and then I'll have him run me home to check on her, okay?"

Edward nodded again. "Fine. But Rosalie…I still want to know. Trust me, please."

"I'll consider it." I closed the door and returned to Emmett.

"Thank fuck!" he exclaimed. "I'm about to bust here, baby. What's goin' on?"

I dropped my sheet and climbed back to my place atop Mt. Emmett. I slid down on him and he groaned.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Em." I rose up and sank down on him again, making his eyes roll back. "Nothing at all."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Edward insisted on coming up to the apartment with me to see if Bella was okay. Her car was parked in its usual place, so clearly she'd come home. She still wasn't answering her phone, however, and although I didn't let on to the guys, I was starting to worry. Emmett followed along behind us, still pouting that we'd had to cut our morning fun short.

I realized something was wrong when I opened the door and the chain was on. We only put the chain on at night, when we were both inside. It was Bella's paranoia that had our door secured with three different kinds of locks—paranoia born of both bad experiences and a childhood as the daughter of a cop.

I pushed the door as far as the chain would allow and called inside.

"Bells? You in there? Let me in."

Silence. I called again, louder.

"Bella!"

I peeked into the crack. The apartment was dark, which could only be if the curtains were pulled shut. Otherwise, our cheap blinds let in the daylight like they weren't even there. I stepped back and looked at Edward.

"Something's wrong."

He blanched and stepped up to the door.

"Bella? Bella! It's Edward, baby, let us in!" He waited a moment, but still nothing. He braced his shoulder and slammed into the door, but it didn't budge. "Bella?"

"Move, bro." Emmett's voice was determined. Edward and I both took a step away from the door as Em hurtled into it, popping the chain out of the frame and splintering the trim. The door crashed open, and the three of us hesitated a moment on the threshold, waiting for any kind of response from inside. Then we stepped in slowly. The curtains were all drawn. Bella's purse and keys were in their usual place. Her phone was on the counter, above an open drawer.

Knives.

"Wait here, Rosie," Emmett ordered. He and Edward exchanged looks of concern. I could see Edward's panic rising, and I tried to stay calm. The guys gestured silently to each other as they made their way through the living room and down the dark hallway toward the bedrooms. Em reached in and flipped on the bathroom light, then shook his head. They walked farther down, where Bella's bedroom door was closed. Edward reached out and tried the knob.

_Locked,_ he mouthed to Emmett. I waved my arms at them to get their attention. The apartment had come with several skeleton keys for the doors, stored conveniently on top of the door frames. I crept up close to Emmett and explained. Edward reached up for the key over Bella's door and slid it into the lock. We held our breaths as he turned the knob.

The room was empty.

Edward stepped inside, followed by Emmett, who held my hand tightly. Edward reached the closet first and pulled the door open quickly.

Bella screamed.

Edward immediately put his arms out toward her, but there was a flash of metal and he yanked his hand back. He was bleeding.

"Bella? Bella!" He called, but she kept screaming. Emmett rushed to Edward, who waved him off. "I'm okay," he gasped.

I stooped down and crawled to the closet. "Bells? It's me. It's Rosalie. It's okay Bella. Everything's okay. Edward and Emmett are here with me, it's just us."

Bella's screams died down to sobs.

"Rose?" Her voice shook.

"It's me Bells."

She moved forward, and her face peered out at us. She was white as a sheet, and her eyes were fixed on the doorway behind us. Her focus was so intent that we all turned to look as well, as though expecting someone to come in at any moment. Emmett rose.

"I'll go check out the rest of the apartment and get something for Edward's hand," he whispered. I nodded.

Bella frowned and looked over at Edward.

"Oh God, Edward, I'm so sorry!" she cried out. "I thought…I thought you were him."

I stared hard at her. "Him who, Bells?"

She turned to me.

"James." Her face, already impossibly white, paled even more. "He called me, Rose."

_Son of a bitch._

"Move over." I crawled in beside her and wrapped my arms around her. She was shaking. Her head dropped to my shoulder. Edward watched us intently; I knew he wanted to be the one holding her, but I also knew she needed _me_ more right now. Because I was the only one who knew. The only one who could understand.

"It'll never be over, will it Rose?" she whispered. I held her tighter, and she started to cry.

There was really no avoiding it now. Edward already knew something was up, something bad, but I'd been able to keep it from Emmett up to this point. Edward hadn't confided any of his concerns to his brother, and I certainly hadn't given anything away.

But Bella's apparent mental breakdown and attempt to stab Edward? Yeah, not something I could distract Emmett from with orgasms.

"What did he say, Bella?" I asked. She looked up.

"It's in my voicemail, you can hear it yourself," she answered. "Edward, will you find my phone?"

He nodded and left. I heard him talking quietly to Emmett in the hall, but I focused on Bella. Edward returned with Emmett and Bella's BlackBerry. He held it out to me, and I saw his hand was bandaged.

"We'll wait in the living room," he said, looking pointedly at me. He wasn't going to interfere now, but he was going to want answers. Emmett's face was confused and concerned.

"Nothing to worry about," he murmured, reminding me of my words from this morning. I shook my head slightly at him. He frowned and followed Edward to the living room. When they were gone, I logged into Bella's voicemail and listened to the message.

_James._ That weaselly prick had been the prince of Royce's ass-kissers from minute one. He'd ogled and groped the women in the office, drank too much, and been a useless lump of shit in general—which probably explained Royce's bond with him. They were both ejected from the same colon. James had known better than to even look my way, so I'd never had to deal with him directly. I was Royce's wife. Off limits.

But Bella had been his biggest target, and his most frequent and consistent failure. She didn't take his shit. She may have been shy, but she wasn't a wimp. She'd made it almost to the top in a company run by misogynistic pricks like James and owned by the top prick of all, my husband. When James and Royce came back from lunches drunk, she had their assistants cancel their meetings and sent them home—without them ever realizing it. The first time she'd "handled" them was the day we met; she'd called me herself to come and get my loser of a husband before he tanked a major deal they'd all been working on. I liked her immediately; she had a head on her shoulders and balls in her ladywear.

My kind of woman. We became friends. And James set his sights on Bella even more intently, although neither of us realized it at the time. Instead of another pussy conquest, she became his way of getting farther into Royce's world—in _his_ mind, pairing with my best friend would put him inside the inner circle. She was a King by association.

And I knew, in some circle of hell, that I was responsible for everything that had happened to Bella that godawful night. I was responsible for the nightmare she'd been living through for nearly a year. I'd brought her into my world. All we'd ever wanted from each other was friendship. She'd never wanted more from me. I had never been a stepping stone in her life or a rich friend to take advantage of. She never let me pay for her share of our shopping or trips or nights out. We were friends, equals, and ultimately, lovers.

In return for her loyalty and love, however, I'd made her a target for social climbers and name droppers, for pricks like James to set their sights on. She'd lost everything that night, and she'd never blamed me, never thrown any of it in my face. She'd kept our secret because she knew it was what I wanted and needed, enduring the constant nightmares and panic attacks and going along with my every whim even when she was too tired or the money was too short. She had never asked me for anything until this week, until Edward. And I had denied her even that comfort.

I didn't know what James was playing at now, calling out of the blue. Was it just mind games? Probably. But what if it wasn't? He was unpredictable. If he really was back, and angry, Bella could be in danger. I couldn't let her down again. I could still see her, bleeding and unconscious on the library floor, and the rage I had felt then hadn't lessened with time. I owed her more than Royce's money would ever repay. But I could give her this much. I could give her her shot at happiness with Edward. Her chance at a real life. And with Edward and Emmett's help, maybe I could keep her safe without Royce ever finding out and still have my own shot at a new life.

It was time for truth.

* * *

**EPOV**

I fell to the sofa and grabbed fistfuls of my hair. I wanted to rip it out. I needed to do something. Bella was hurting. Bella was afraid.

And Rosalie was the one holding her. Keeping their secret. Sharing her pain.

I was angry. I was concerned. I was confused. And I was jealous. I wanted to be the one taking care of Bella. I wanted to be the one she trusted, confided in, felt safer with.

I _had_ to know the truth now. A twinge in my hand reminded me of my injury, inflicted by Bella in a moment of terror. Terror that had her hiding in closets like a victim in a bad slasher flick. I'd once taught a seminar on horror films and had subjected my class and myself to the worst, cheesiest, most overdone clichés in the genre. This felt like all of them and more.

But this was real.

I thought over all the times that Bella had run from me. She had been terror stricken every time I'd held or grabbed her arms. She'd responded to my kisses on that first date but had panicked when I'd tightened my hold on her hair and held her to me. She was afraid of a man—James.

I knew what it sounded like, but I couldn't let myself think the word.

Not my Bella.

I was brought to reality by a slap to the back of the head.

"What the fuck?" I sputtered.

"No, Edward, that is MY question. And I think it's time you stop zoning out and tell me what the fucking hell is going on here." Emmett was staring down at me from behind the couch, his knuckles white as he gripped the back of it. I feared briefly for Bella's furniture. "Why is Bella freaking out in a closet and attacking you with a knife? You and Rosie know something I don't, and it's obviously something bad, something possibly dangerous. If Rose is in danger because your girlfriend is some kind of whackjob, I need to know it now, dude."

"Don't ever say that again," I growled at him. "Bella's not crazy. And she's not a threat to Rosalie. If anything, _Rose_ is the threat." I stood and started pacing. "I don't know what's going on, because neither of them will tell me. It's some big goddamn secret. Bella promised to tell me but she had to get Rosalie's _permission_ first. Her _permission!_ And now Bella's getting phone calls from some guy named James who scares her so much she hides in a closet in her own apartment and arms herself with kitchen utensils!"

I stopped pacing and looked at him.

"Whatever happened, whatever's going on, it involves both of them, Em. I don't know what kind of fuckery we've walked into here, but whatever it is, it's important to them to keep it a secret, and it terrifies Bella. I tried to convince Rose to tell me when I came to your room this morning. She wouldn't. She doesn't trust me. I get that. But if you have any sway with her, you've got to get her to tell us. Or let Bella tell us. Whatever."

He didn't speak.

"You love her, don't you Em? I can see it when you're with her, she means more to you than anyone else you've been with. I know it, because I feel the same way about Bella. It's fast and crazy and unexpected, but it's there. But the truth is, we don't know either of them well enough to know what really makes them tick. And they don't know or trust us enough to tell us. Somehow, we have to convince them that they can. That we can help. That we want to help."

"You really think it's love?" The question was an odd one, given the circumstances. Rose and Bella are afraid and clearly in danger, but Emmett's focusing on his _feelings?_

"I don't know what _you_ feel. I can't label it for you. I know I'm in love with Bella and I want her to be mine. I want to be the one she runs to when she's afraid and confides in. I want to protect her and love her every single day. I miss her when she's not around. She makes me laugh. She makes me horny as fuck. She's beautiful and fun and mysterious and smart. But there's a side of her, a part of her life, that she won't let me into, and it makes me crazy. She runs away from me rather than face whatever it is. She follows Rosalie's lead on everything. I know there's more to it. I know there's more to _her_. I want in. I want _all_ in. Whatever it is."

I paused.

"If you don't feel at least some of that for Rosalie, Em—if you don't want to be a part of whatever the fuck is going on here—then you should leave. If you can't handle it, can't prove to them both that you're ready to hear whatever it is, then there's a fucking good chance they won't tell us. And I have to know. I _have_ to. I feel completely fucking helpless and useless here. I can't fix anything because I don't know what's broken. If it's as bad as I suspect it is, and if there's a threat to Bella or to Rose, then I'm going to need your help. But only if you're all-in too. Are you?"

He stared at me for a moment, then nodded.

"Yeah bro, I'm in. For you. For Bella. And abso-fucking-lutely for Rosie. She's my everything, man. I'm in."

"You fucking better be." Rosalie was standing in the hallway supporting Bella, who was still pale. Bella's eyes found mine, and she smiled weakly in apology. Rosalie glared at all of us. They moved into the room, and I hurried over to Bella and held her to me.

Rosalie stalked to the front of the room.

"Bella wants to tell you the truth, so I'm going to let her. But what she says cannot leave this fucking room. Do you understand?"

"Rose," Bella cautioned. "It'll be okay."

Emmett and I looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Then we looked back at Rose and nodded. We understood.

"Fine." She threw herself into a chair and crossed her legs. "Tell them, Bella."

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**Dun dun dunnnnnn. Annnnnnnd cue commercial break! LOL. I hope you're all still with me. Unlike a soap opera, where the truth never **_**really**_** comes out, however, all will be revealed in the next chapter. Theories? Thoughts? Questions? Let me hear 'em!  
**

**Story Notes:**

_**Scream**_** is the movie that single-handedly restarted the horror movie genre in the late 1990s. Like all slasher films, they beat a fun concept to death with too many cheesy sequels. Word is they're making another one now, actually. Still, the title fit, and I was thinking of Drew Barrymore's phone-call-before-death in the original **_**Scream**_** when I wrote this. **


	13. Chapter 13: From Hell

**Chapter 13: From Hell**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**WARNING: This chapter is dark, violent, and may be upsetting to some. If you don't think you can handle it, stop now. Please.  
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**EPOV**

Bella looked around at us nervously for a moment before she spoke.

"When Rose and I met, I was working for King Financial. Do you know it?"

"Sure," Emmett answered. "Our parents have accounts there."

A piece of the puzzle fell into place. King Financial. _King,_ as in—

"Royce King is your ex-husband?" I asked Rose.

"Technically he is _still_ my husband," she answered. "A circumstance that will be remedied in the near future."

Royce King was always in the local papers for various philanthropic gifts and business dealings. Looking back, I remembered the slight uproar in the press when he and his wife had split suddenly and unexpectedly.

"Your breakup made the papers," I said. "It was big news a few months back."

"_Noooo_ kidding!" The sarcasm in her voice came through loud and clear. "The press loves Royce. He's the community builder, the big fucking hero. Too bad they don't know what he really is."

"Which is what, exactly?"

"Why don't you stop asking questions and let Bella talk, since you're so eager for truth, Edward?" She turned to Bella, who was watching us carefully. "Go on, Bells."

Bella took a breath and gave me an apologetic look before resuming.

"Well, I worked in the corporate headquarters, where I was in charge of community relations. I brought in a lot of the community groups that King is so famous for sponsoring and supporting. I acted as the liaison between Royce and the group leaders. My immediate supervisor was a man named James Victor, and _his_ immediate supervisor was none other than Royce King himself."

Bella looked at me.

"I told you before about how I met Rose, how I would 'handle' her husband and my boss when they got drunk during lunch meetings, and how we got to be friends. I also told you how she took me in when my marriage to Jacob fell apart."

I nodded. "I remember."

Emmett spoke up. "Well I haven't heard any of that."

Bella recapped the story briefly for Emmett's sake. When she talked about Jacob and how he accused her of sleeping with Rose's husband, I wanted to throttle him for treating her that way. She squeezed my hand gently before continuing.

"I called Rosalie when I left the house, and she immediately invited me to stay with her. Royce's house was enormous; they had plenty of room and she promised I could stay as long as I needed to. I was hesitant, but I really didn't have much choice. My father was in Washington and my mother had moved to Florida. I promised myself I'd only impose on Rose for a few days. But I have to admit, I got pretty comfortable there. It was a whole new experience, living on the estate. Getting to and from work was easy; I rode in with Royce and his driver. The house staff took care of cleaning and laundry and cooking. Every time I even mentioned finding an apartment, Rose would shoot me down and convince me to stay." She glanced at Rose.

"Well, it was nice not having to rattle around that mausoleum by myself!" Rose exclaimed. "Besides, it made girls' nights much easier. Instead of finding hotels to crash in, we just caught a cab back to the estate or had the driver, Garrett, take us and bring us back. It was perfect."

Silence fell for a moment.

"So then,…uh," Bella started to blush. "That was when, you know…" She looked to Rosalie for help.  
"What Bella's trying to say is that it was during that time, while we were all living together, that she and I had sex." Rose's expression dared us to say anything. Wisely, we kept silent. "Bella and I had been flirting with each other frequently, teasing, even making out a little on the dance floors of clubs for some time, but it had never gone farther than that. It was all in good fun. But on one night in particular, when we were very drunk and very horny, we took it further. We spent the night together in her room."

"Exactly," Bella resumed. "It didn't change us; we woke up the next day and we were still just really good friends. It might have even happened again, except…" She trailed off, and her eyes clouded with fear.

"Except a few nights later, everything went to hell," Rose said quietly. The girls' eyes met, and a tear fell onto Bella's cheek and ran down to her chin.

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**BPOV**

I closed my eyes. The memories I'd been suppressing for nearly a year were rattling at their cage, and I was about to release them. I squeezed Edward's hand tighter. Would he be able to handle knowing the truth? Was I putting him in danger, bringing him into my nightmare?

It was too late to turn back now. I opened my eyes and took a breath.

"We'd gone out clubbing again. It was after 3 in the morning by the time we got home, and we were very drunk. We giggled and stumbled through the house, singing at the top of our lungs, just generally being idiots. Somehow, we ended up in the library. Royce and James were there, and they were drunk as well."

I could see library in my mind, the fire burning in the fireplace, the marble mantel, the wood paneling around the endless shelves of books. I could see Royce leaning back in the chair behind his enormous mahogany desk, a decanter of whiskey and a half-filled rocks glass on the blotter, smoke rising up from the cigar between his teeth. Even as drunk as I was then, my brain had stored every image in perfect detail. In the dark leather sofa opposite the desk, James sat leering at us, his arms spread wide along the back of the sofa, his cigar dangling carelessly between the fingers of one hand, another rocks glass in the other…

_"Well, well, well…Look at what we have here, James!"_

_Royce's voice was off, somehow. It made me nervous. But Rose, never afraid of anything, walked right into the room and perched herself on Royce's desk. She crossed her legs and swung them provocatively. _

_"Look Bells, it's our two favorite jackasses!" She started laughing. I stumbled over to her and took her hand._

_"Come on, Rose, let's go." I tried to draw her off the desk, but she pulled her hand from my grip._

_"No way, Bells, it'll be much more fun to sit here with the masters of the universe. We can see how jackasses entertain themselves! It'll be like a science project." She laughed again. Royce got up and sauntered over to us, coming to a stop just in front of Rosalie. _

_"So I'm a jackass, am I?" He answered. "Well I guess that's better than being a whore, don't you think, James?" He ran a finger down Rose's throat and chest, toward her breasts. _

_"Who the fuck are you calling a whore?" Rose demanded, swatting his hand away. Royce leered at us both._

_"I saw you girls tonight," he hissed. "James and I decided to see what all the fuss was about at these clubs you're always going to. It wasn't hard to find you. I just called Garrett and told him to drive us wherever you usually went." His face twisted into a scowl._

_"I saw you dancing. I saw how you mooooved." He swayed, like he was imitating us. "I saw you grinding your hot little asses up on all those men. You let them touch you."_

_Suddenly, his hand shot out and he grabbed hold of Rosalie's hair, yanking her head back. She cried out._

_"Nobody touches my property, do you hear me?" He was face to face with Rose, her long hair twisted around his fist. "Nobody." _

_"Let her go, Royce, please," I asked quietly. I was shaking. The situation was out of hand, and I knew we needed to get out of there before it got worse. Then Royce turned to me._

_It was too late to leave. _

_"Let her go? You want me to let her go? But she's my property, Bella." His voice was cold. "And nobody touches my property," he repeated. Suddenly he nodded at something behind me. My attention had been on Rosalie and Royce. I hadn't seen James get up from the sofa. I didn't hear or see him cross the room. I had completely forgotten him until that moment. I turned my head just as James grabbed my arms and pinned them painfully behind my back, pulling me to his chest in the process. _

_"No!" I yelled, struggling against his grip. "Let me go, you fucking prick!" I twisted and pulled, but I couldn't break his hold. His fingertips dug deep into my upper arms and my shoulders ached. The next thing I felt was Royce's breath on my skin as he exhaled a puff of smoke in my face. I nearly choked._

_"Do you know what else I saw?" he asked in a low growl. "Do you know?" He yanked Rose forward until our faces were close together. "I saw you KISSING!" he hollered at us. "And you know what? James here saw it too. Didn't you, Jimmy boy? And he LIKED it."_

_"Oh yeah," James answered. "Yeah, I reallllly liked it." His breath, like Royce's, was hot and foul with whiskey. He lowered his voice and hissed into my ear. "You think you're something special, don't you Isabella? Fucking cock tease in your skirts and heels, not giving me the time of day. We'll see how fucking special you are."_

_He pulled my arms back harder, making me cry out. Tears ran hot down my cheeks. As I watched, Royce tore Rose's blouse open and yanked her backward against the library desk, her hair still tight in his grip and his body pressed against hers, immobilizing her._

_"Fucking whores!" Royce spat in her face. "You seemed awfully fucking comfortable out there, making out. Sticking your tongues down each other's throats. Do you like it? Is that what melts the ice queen? Tell me, whore, is that why you're such a fucking lousy wife in bed?"_

_"Fuck you." Rose gasped out. Royce slapped her with the back of his free hand. The sound echoed through the room._

_"Don't hurt her!" I begged. He turned to me. _

_"And you, Bella…have you been fucking my wife behind my back all this time?" He gestured to James, who moved me closer. "No wonder none of us can get anywhere with you. Did you like fucking my wife, Bella? I bet you did, you fucking dyke!"_

_He pressed himself against Rose again to keep her in place and reached out for me. He gripped my face hard, forcing me to look at him._

_"Nobody touches my property and gets away with it, Isabella. Do you hear me? You owe me now, and as her husband, I get to be a part of any fucking she does. So you're gonna fuck my wife again, right here, and James and I are gonna watch. We'll see exactly how much you like it." _

_Rose and I looked at each other in horror._

_"No," I croaked out, my throat too dry to rise above a whisper. "I won't." I managed to pull my face from Royce's grasp and tried again to free myself, but James shifted my arms into one hand and took hold of my throat with the other. He yanked my head backward so my throat was at his mouth. I cried out in fear and disgust as I felt James's tongue slide across my skin._

_"Oh yes you will," he growled at me. "You think you're something special, don't you Isabella? Fucking cock tease in your skirts and heels. I'm gonna have my turn with you. I'm gonna watch you perform, and then I'm gonna have you for myself."_

_The panic rose up inside me and I started to thrash about, trying to get free. I was able to break his hold on my arms, but he squeezed my throat harder, cutting off most of my air. My hands flew to my neck, and I clawed and scraped at his hand, but I couldn't get free. I grew weak with the lack of oxygen. I felt James's free hand start to roam beneath my blouse, and I feebly tried to resist, but I was quickly losing my hold on reality. Somewhere nearby I heard Rose and Royce scuffle and argue, and I tried to focus on her voice. Through blurry eyes I could see that Rose had somehow gotten free of Royce's hold and was facing off with him, standing tall and proud and beautiful. I tried to take strength from her. _

_"Do it!" Royce was ordering. "Fuck your precious Bella, you cunt. Fuck her or I'll make you watch while James fucks her."_

_"We're not going to perform for you, jackass," she taunted him. "Why bother? Even something as hot as that wouldn't be enough to get your worthless dick up."_

_Royce slapped Rose hard, and she spun with the force of it. James loosened his grip on my throat for a moment in surprise, and I was able to take in enough air to scream out in terror before he clamped one hand over my mouth and wrapped the other arm tight around my neck. I bucked and twisted in his hold but was helpless as I watched Royce toss a dazed Rosalie down onto the desk. The crystal decanter crashed to the floor, and I prayed that someone would hear the noise and help us. _

_"Bring her here," Royce ordered. James tried to move me, but I locked my knees and dug my heels into the floor. He dragged me to the desk, where Rosalie's legs dangled off the edge. In the process, his grip on my neck tightened further. I couldn't see past the stars that sprang up before my eyes, and my fingertips, still desperately trying to pry his arm loose, began to go numb. _

_"DO IT!" Royce bellowed. I could hear him moving around, but I couldn't see what he was doing to Rosalie. The stars were fading into darkness. _

_"On your knees, bitch," James ordered, knocking my knees out and releasing me at the same time. Disoriented and only half conscious, I wasn't fast enough to break my fall or even see where I was. I felt a sharp, excruciating pain, and everything went black._

I reached up with my free hand and traced the scar on my forehead, just beyond the hairline. Edward's eyes followed the action, and his pale face flushed crimson. I looked around. While I'd been lost in my recollection, Emmett had crossed the room and was now holding Rose in his arms. His expression was a mirror of Edward's—murderous rage.

"Everything else I know, I learned from Rose and the police." I looked at Rose. She shook her head and closed her eyes, waving at me to continue as she curled into Emmett's body. I stared down at my fingers, still entwined with Edward's.

"When I fell, I smashed my head into the desk. It knocked me unconscious—I was already halfway there from lack of oxygen anyway, so it didn't take much—and opened a huge gash in my forehead. Head wounds bleed excessively, or so I've been told. The blood scared James. He let go of me and told Royce he was done, but Royce wasn't having it. 'You're in this up to your eyeballs, Jimmy,' he told him. 'Might as well enjoy the show!' And then he laughed. It was just long enough, just enough of a distraction, for Royce to loosen his hold on Rosalie."

I smiled tightly. "She told me later that he woke up the entire household staff with his screams when she plunged a letter opener into his testicles. I never heard a thing. I woke up in the hospital several hours later with a couple dozen stitches in my scalp, bruises on my arms and neck, and a killer headache. Three days later Rose filed for divorce."

"That story never made it to the papers," Edward said after a few minutes. He spoke through clenched teeth, and his hand tightened around mine.

"Of course not!" Rose answered with a derisive snort. "He's Royce fucking King. The cops who came to the house took his statement first, as he was being put into an ambulance. He told them I'd gone nuts, that I'd walked in on him and Bella making out and attacked them. He said Bella had hit her head on the desk trying to get away from _me_. With the exception of my ruined blouse and a slightly swollen cheek, I didn't have a mark on me. James, that limp prick, slipped out and vanished before the cops showed up. The fact that I stabbed him in the nuts and that Bella was in such bad shape made Royce's story seem somehow more credible, and they actually took me in for questioning!" She laughed coldly and shook her head. "Fucking morons."

I resumed the story. "When I woke up in the hospital, there were two detectives there waiting to talk to me. When my story matched up with Rosalie's word for word, they finally believed the truth and released her. But there wasn't enough evidence to charge Royce; James had caused my injuries and none of what Royce had done to Rose had left a cut or bruise. I was discharged that night, and we were escorted back to the estate by the police. We packed my things and as much of hers as we could, and we left. None of it made the news, presumably because Royce and his spin doctors paid off anyone and everyone who might talk.

"We spent the next two nights in a hotel, crying and talking and making arrangements. Rosalie contacted a lawyer. Two days later there was a meeting. Rose, me, her lawyer, Royce and his lawyer, and a lawyer for the bank all met to 'discuss the situation.' In the end, we agreed to keep the truth to ourselves and not press charges. In return, I resigned with a 'confidential' settlement package and a distaste for corporate efficiency and the ridiculous power of money."

"And Rosalie?" Edward asked, looking over at her. "What did you get for keeping quiet?"

She sat upright in Emmett's lap. "As part of the agreement, and for the sake of keeping up King Financial's 'corporate image,' I agreed to go through a normal divorce proceeding, citing 'irreconcilable differences' or some other lameass cause. I sit tight through a year of legal separation, and Bella and I keep our mouths shut. In return, she gets her settlement and I get my divorce, uncontested, the terms of which will of course be undisclosed and generous."

I smirked. "In other words, Rosalie cut Royce's balls off with that letter opener, and she's essentially going to be feeding them to him when the time comes to pay out."

Silence fell again. It was a tense, angry, awkward silence. I wanted Edward to hold me, but I feared being rejected. I didn't want to push him.

Emmett spoke. "What happened to James, then?"

Rose answered again.

"James was the only one who might actually face charges, because of Bella's injuries. So he took off. As a result, he lost his job, his standing in the community, everything. I always assumed Royce paid to shut him up and get him out of town, and he was probably living high off the spoils somewhere. Until now, anyway."

Our eyes met, and her look was concerned.

"If he's here now, and angry, there's no telling what he'll do. If he exposes what really happened, Bella and I could both lose our settlements and be out on our asses with nothing. Royce will have no reason to pay us what he owes us if his reputation is already destroyed and the bank collapses under a scandal. But James might very well have something worse in mind. He was fixated on Bella then, and if his phone call today is any indication, that hasn't changed."

She paused.

"Then again, James was and most likely still is the biggest fucking pussy on the planet. He may never go any further than making harassing phone calls, something we can remedy simply by changing Bella's number."

The room grew quiet again. I shook my head, glancing quickly at Emmett and then at Edward, who was staring at the floor. "I'm so sorry," I whispered.

Edward lifted his head. "Sorry? For what?"

"For dragging you into this. I should have stayed away. I tried to stay away. I told you, I'm…I'm not good for you."

He dropped to his knees on the floor in front of me. We were face to face.

"Don't ever, ever apologize to me for that again, Bella," he told me as he brought his hands up and held my face. "I'm here for you. I promised, and I intend to keep that promise." He kissed me. "I love you, Bella, and I'm going to keep you safe."

I burst into tears. It was all so overwhelming. For nearly 10 months I'd been living in hell, reliving that night in my dreams and all too often in my waking moments as well, unable to share it with anyone but Rose. She had always been so strong and determined to move forward and had never been able to give me the comfort I wanted and the cathartic release I so desperately needed.

Here, in Edward's arms, the truth laid bare for both him and Emmett, I let go at last. Sobs wracked my body as Edward held me and assured me again and again of his love. For the first time, I started to believe it was possible—that in spite of everything, in spite of the short time we'd known each other and the massive shitstorm of baggage that I carried with me, he truly did love me.

As my breakdown subsided, Edward carried me to the bedroom and set me down gently on the bed. He climbed in, propping himself up with pillows, and pulled me into his embrace again. He was warm, and his arms felt so good around me. Safe. I buried my face in his chest and inhaled his scent. As I drifted to sleep, exhausted by the terror of the morning and the emotional roller coaster that followed, Edward softly kissed my head.

"I love you, Bella Swan."

His voice was so gentle, so sincere. In that moment, I knew I could truly say it and mean it.

"I love you, too, Edward."

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**There you have it. There's more to the story, of course, and rest assured Edward will be asking some very good questions in the next chapter. Thanks for riding this roller coaster with me. I'd love your thoughts on the story thus far: was the truth what you expected? **

**Story Note:**

_**From Hell**_** is a dark, gruesome telling of the Jack the Ripper story. It stars Johnny Depp, Robbie Coltrane, and Heather Graham and is not for anyone with a weak stomach. **


	14. Chapter 14: War of the Roses

**Chapter 14: War of the Roses**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

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**EPOV**

Bella slept in my arms, exhausted by the stress of the day. I, on the other hand, was incapable of sleep. A flurry of emotions and images swirled through my brain.

_Rage._

Royce King. James Victor. And anyone else who ever even thought about touching my Bella. A very dark, very basic part of me wanted to hunt them down and tear them apart with my bare hands.

_Horror._

Images of Bella, trapped and losing consciousness in the arms of a would-be rapist. Lifeless and bleeding on the floor. Bruised and battered in a hospital bed. Frozen with panic when someone holds her by the arm. Drunk and uncaring on the dance floor, no longer bothering to protect what others had already claimed for their own use. Curled into the corner of a closet, brandishing a flimsy steak knife and screaming.

_Confusion._

There were pieces of the puzzle I needed to understand. Why had the girls chosen to make their bargain with the devil himself rather than have him thrown in jail to rot? What was James up to, calling out of the blue after all this time? What did any of them really stand to gain?

"What's wrong?" Bella spoke without lifting her head. I hadn't realized she was awake.

"Nothing, why?"

She shifted so that we were face to face.

"Please don't lie to me, Edward." She was stern at first, then her face fell. "If all this is—is too much for you, I'll understand. I know that you love me, but—"

I silenced her with a finger to her lips.

"No buts. And I'm only lying a little bit. Nothing's wrong, but I _am_ curious about something."

She raised her eyebrows in a question. I traced her lips with my fingertip, then released her before continuing.

"I'm trying to process everything you've told me. I have a lot of crazy, mixed up feelings about it. But I keep coming back to one question. Why?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Why what, exactly?"

"Why the secrecy? What possible reason could you and Rosalie have for agreeing to Royce's terms after all that he did to you? What could be worth all this?"

A heartbeat of silence, then: "Oh."

She sat up. I shifted as well, bracing myself. Her hands played with each other nervously, and I could see that whatever she was about to tell me was significant.

"We have reasons. A lot of reasons." She looked at her hands, then back at me. "About fifty million of them, to be exact."

My face must have betrayed my shock. _Fifty million…dollars?_

"Please don't think ill of me, Edward," she rushed to explain. "It's not like I care about the money all that much. Only five million of it is coming to me anyway. Well, four million, eight hundred thousand, actually; I got two hundred thousand up front in my 'settlement package'—it had to look good on the books, after all." Her eyes pleaded with me to understand.

I was still staggered.

"Royce King is giving you and Rose fifty million dollars to cover up what he did to you? And you're taking it?" I wasn't sure how I felt. Appalled? Impressed? Flabbergasted? "He has that kind of money to spare?"

"Well, it's not like he has it sitting around in small bills," she explained. "We'll get a large share of interest in the bank, plus some liquid funds and other assets, like real estate and such. Royce may be the slimiest, but he's not the most criminal King descendant. They've been stashing money offshore for decades. Graft, kickbacks, embezzlement, any kind of financially corrupt practice you can think of, some member of the King family somewhere down the line has 'dabbled' in it."

The way she said it was so casual, as though it were nothing! _Fifty million dollars of dirty hush money! _

"So somehow that makes it okay for you to get a cut? I'm sorry Bella, but isn't that like saying what he did to you was no big deal as long as you get paid for it?"

She paled, and her voice fell to a whisper. "I suppose that's one way to look at it."

I reached out and lifted her chin. "I'm trying to understand, Bella. Please talk to me. Help me."

She pulled back and looked away, fixing her eyes on the window behind me and frowning.

"You have to understand, Edward, it's not that the money is important. I mean, it is important to Rosalie, to some extent; she's lived an expensive lifestyle since birth, and in all honesty she probably would have taken Royce to the cleaners in a divorce regardless of how it came about."

She half-smirked, then frowned again.

"For me, it's just about getting on with life. I can't go back to the career path I thought I would have. That world is not for me anymore. I'm too old and too skittish to battle my way back up another corporate ladder, even if I wanted to. I've been holding onto that two hundred thousand because until we have the rest of the money in hand, that's my entire nest egg. I don't know what I'm going to do with the rest of my life, and until I can figure that out, I need every penny I have. The IRS took a chunk of it already, and the freelancing doesn't always bring me enough to cover my share of the expenses here, so I've had to tap into it from time to time. Rose has a little money, some that she inherited from her parents and some that she squirreled away during her marriage, and together we make do."

"But Bella," I interrupted. "_Fifty_ million? Does it take that much?"

"Actually, yes. That's _exactly_ how much it takes." She looked me in the eye. "See, we knew that Royce would try to screw us on the deal. But what _he_ didn't know was that Rosalie had hired a private investigator to look into his infidelities and his finances months earlier. She already knew the marriage was going south, and she was going to get her share. The other thing in our favor was that Royce and I have something in common—we both talk in our sleep. And to Royce's very evident dismay, we walked into the meeting with the lawyers fully aware of many, if not all, of his offshore dealings. I wasn't kidding when I said Rosalie would be feeding him his testicles when the time comes."

She glanced down at her hands again. "You see, Edward, we had to _hurt_ him. And the police weren't going to do it. They'd bought into his power plays and spin doctoring hook, line, and sinker. Even when they realized that Rose and I were telling the truth, they made excuse after excuse for why they couldn't charge Royce with anything that would stick. We knew that we couldn't endure the long, drawn-out legal process. Assuming it ever went to trial, I'd never be able to sit up on a witness stand and tell this story to a courtroom of people without breaking down. I'm a mess even now, and this is me in good shape! Those days and weeks after it first happened, you can't imagine what I went through."

I tried to see things from Bella's perspective, and Rosalie's. They had no hope of justice. They couldn't retaliate physically for the pain they'd been caused.

"So you hit him where it would hurt the most, then," I said, nodding. "I get it."

"Do you?" Her expression was cautiously hopeful. "Do you really?"

"Yeah, I do. You're right. You won't get justice any other way for what he did to you. So yes, I understand."

I paused.

"But don't get me wrong, Bella. It's a lot of money. A _shockingly large_ amount of money. And I still feel as though it's tainted, as though you'd be better off without it. I want you to be safe and able to move on with your life, like you said. I suppose I feel better knowing your share isn't quite as large as Rosalie's. I know she was married to him and probably had to endure a lot of miserable years. I certainly don't begrudge her a chance to get what she can for that, and I definitely don't feel any sympathy for the prick she was married to. He deserves much worse."

"Please don't think badly of Rose for that," Bella begged. "The fact is, she and I have already talked about it, and we've agreed a large chunk of the money will go to charity. We want to finance several shelters, at least one for victims of sexual assault and another for victims of sex-based hate crimes. Instead of sinking Royce _and_ King Financial with a scandal, we'll make their money work to help others who've been abused in much the same way as he abused us."

I thought about that for a moment. The irony of it struck me: Royce King would have to watch his money go toward treating abuse victims, thus reminding him every day of his own crimes. It was fitting. I realized suddenly that, in that light, I was less repulsed by the money. In Bella and Rosalie's hands, it would serve its purpose and at the same time do far more good than it ever would have otherwise. They would turn their nightmare into something beneficial for others.

_A man can never outdo a woman when it comes to love and revenge,_ I thought. I reached for Bella and pulled her into my arms.

"I'm proud of you for that, Bella. Both of you. You're amazing women." I kissed her head. "I will help you in any way I can, I promise."

She wrapped her arms around me. "Thank you, Edward," she murmured into my chest.

* * *

**BPOV**

The days that followed our big revelation were…frustrating.

At first, it was very sweet and gallant. Edward and Emmett devised all sorts of plans for keeping Rose and me safe from James. Rose, of course, bitched them from here to next week for even _thinking_ about imposing any sort of "rules" on her. She could take care of her own damn self, thank you very much, and would not be treated like a federal witness in a mob trial.

When it came to me, however, she was as bad as the guys. Wherever I went, I was chaperoned. I was lucky they would let me shower alone (although I had Edward's company even there sometimes—not that I'm complaining). My phone number was changed, and Emmett replaced the broken lock on our front door with a new chain and a second deadbolt. Our landlord didn't exactly appreciate the addition, but eventually he relented. It's quite difficult to argue with Emmett towering over you.

The guys insisted on staying with us for "protection." Going out was pretty much out of the question, so instead we watched movies, ordered in, and played board games. Edward got some writing done, and I caught up on a few projects. Rose and Emmett ran our errands—probably the first time in her life that Rosalie ever set foot in a grocery store.

As the days wore on, however, the walls starting closing in. The four of us in one tiny apartment—especially bulky Emmett—began to make us stir crazy. Privacy was nonexistent; I walked in on Emmett peeing one morning, and Rose walked in on Edward and me in the shower on another. Sex became a battle of volume—the more we tried to drown each other out, the louder we all got. To the neighbors around us I'm sure it sounded like a porno turned up full-blast.

To escape the insanity, we spent a lot of time at Carlisle and Esme's house. Jasper had been in a bit of a self-imposed exile since the photos were published, and he and Alice were dealing with cabin fever as well. Fortunately, the Cullens' home was large and offered various means of entertainment. Carlisle's den was a guys' dream, with a large flat-panel TV on the wall, every game console known to man, and an air hockey table. Esme had her own space as well, a comfortable room with large, overstuffed chairs, lots of pillows and fabrics, and another TV (she joked that Carlisle's den had the boob-and-bomb movies, her office had the chick flicks, and never the twain would meet) as well as a home office. There was also a library, filled with everything from literary classics to the latest Oprah book club recommendation. Outside, there was a beautiful pool and a patio with a fire pit and an outdoor barbecue area that rivaled Esme's elaborate indoor kitchen. Carlisle proclaimed himself "Lord of the Grill," a title Esme later told us she bestowed upon him to keep him out of her kitchen.

Rose and I both grew to love Esme and Alice during this time. They were interesting, intelligent women, and very open and fun. While Rose laid out by the pool, I would set up my laptop in a corner of Esme's office. She and Alice would work as well, and their mutual love of design—one of space and the other of fashion—led to many discussions of fabrics and exchanges of ideas that seemed to flow easily. I envied their creativity; they would show me their sketches and I would find myself drooling over the homes Esme envisioned and wishing I could pull off the incredible ensembles Alice put together. They even asked me for input sometimes, and I was pleased on one occasion when Esme added a touch to one of her designs that I had suggested. It was a feeling of accomplishment and validation that I hadn't had since leaving King, and I realized how much I missed working for and with others.

At times I found myself thinking of the money, something I hadn't really let myself do before; the pain of reliving the experience had always been too much to dwell on the "spoils." Now, however, with my secret imparted to Edward and the sense of security I was finding with his family, it was getting easier to set aside the horror and make plans for the future. I considered businesses I might get into or projects I could take on. I contemplated travel, making lists in my head of places I'd love to see and spend real time in. Sometimes I even let myself imagine a few self-indulgent things like spa trips or a new wardrobe or a house of my own; these ideas usually came up after spending a few hours with Esme and Alice.

"Oof!" I gasped as Edward slammed into me with an exuberant but sweaty hug. He and Rose were playing football in the yard against Em and Jasper. Emmett had been taking full advantage of the team situation by tackling Rose every chance he got. To all the guys' surprise, however, his opportunities were few and far between; Rose was fast and lithe, so she was able to sidestep him most of the time. As a result, Edward and Rose were winning by two touchdowns.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Edward asked me, planting a wet, sloppy kiss on my cheek. I raised an eyebrow at him. Emmett had run inside to get some water.

"Your ass in these jeans, of course," I lied. I reached around and grabbed a handful. _God_ he felt good. "I'm thinking _very, very_ _hard_ about it," I whispered in his ear. He groaned.

"Bellaaaa," his voice was pleading. "Not in front of my mother!"

"Like you've never seen me grab Carlisle's delicious ass," Esme piped up. "That man's rear end is something to behold, I'll tell you."

"Mother!" Edward blushed hard and shook his head. "Honestly!"

"Carlisle's _is_ quite nice, Esme, if you don't mind me saying so," Rose said, coming up alongside us. "But Emmett's…well, his is just…"

"Stop it stop it stop it!" Edward wailed, throwing his hands over his ears. "I am NOT hearing this!"

I reached up and pulled his hands away. "Don't worry Edward. I like yours best," I grinned.

"Doesn't anyone like MY ass?" Jasper yelled from across the yard. "I mean, it _has_ graced the cover of _Playgirl,_ y'know."

Rose blushed and was silent, which I took to mean she probably had a copy of that issue stashed somewhere. Esme, Alice, and I burst out laughing.

"I love your ass, Jazz!" Alice called back. "Now get out there and shake it harder, you guys are LOSING, remember?"

From behind us came Emmett's voice. "Just for that, pixie girl, I'm gonna show you some real ass shaking!"

We turned around just as Emmett dropped his pants and mooned us all.

He _did_ have a pretty nice ass.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Despite our escapes to the Cullen house, however, the constant attention was starting to wear on me as the days stretched into weeks. There had been no additional contact from James. Clearly, his phone call had been nothing more than an empty threat. For all we knew, he was on the other side of the country, or even the world. It seemed ridiculous, then, for me to have to be chaperoned to do something as simple as put gas in my car or pick up groceries.

"I'm a big girl, Edward, I _can_ take care of myself!" I slammed the door open and stomped into the apartment. He had followed me out to the car yet again, intending to accompany me on my _very dangerous_ trip to the pharmacy for my birth control pills. I'd flipped out, not for the first time and likely not for the last either. I had had it with being babysat.

"It's not safe for you Bella!" Edward answered. "What if something happened? What if he found you and hurt you?"

I threw up my hands in exasperation. "What are you going to do, watch me like a hawk every day for the rest of my life? You're smothering me. It was hard enough living through every day when I was actually out in the world, living my life. Keeping me cooped up all the time is fucking with my head. I feel more trapped now than I ever did in that goddamn library!"

Edward sucked in a breath as though I'd slapped him. I immediately felt guilty.

"I'm not _him,_ Bella," he said quietly. His voice shook with restrained emotion. "I'm just trying to protect you. I love you."

Stepping toward him, I reached out my hand to his cheek. "I know you are. I'm sorry I said that. I'm just frustrated. We have no way of knowing what James will do or when. He could strike now, or in a month or a year, or he could be full of shit and just messing with us. I can't live under guard forever, you know?"

He shook his head. "You won't have to. Once we find James—"

"_Find_ James?" I stepped back and dropped my hand. "What are you talking about? Why would you go looking for trouble like that?" The idea of Edward facing off with James terrified me. Edward was too good, too honorable for that. James—manipulative, dirty, and violent as he was—would destroy him. "Besides, how would you even begin to find him?"

"Em's made some security contacts through his work, people who can find people, underground sources, that sort of thing. He's put out a few queries…" Edward stopped when he saw my expression.

"You—Em—you've—what have you _done?_" Panic coursed through me. "You're poking sticks at a snake pit, don't you see? If he gets wind of it, if he hears someone's looking for him…" James had nothing to lose and everything to gain. There was no telling how far he'd go if provoked. "This might all be nothing but a mind game, Edward. Leave it alone!"

"I can't, Bella." He ran his hands through his hair, and his eyes were wide and dark with determination. "I can't let it go. I have to protect you. The best way to do that is to keep an eye on you until the threat is eliminated. And _that_ means finding James and taking him down, one way or the other."

My eyes rolled. "And how exactly do you plan to 'take James down' then? Kill him? Beat the shit out of him and hope he doesn't retaliate? This isn't an action movie, Edward! You and Emmett can't go out there with guns blazing and 'eliminate'"—I made air quotes with my fingers—"the bad guy. You'd do nothing more than get yourselves arrested, or worse, hurt or killed in the process. Do you think Rosalie would let me live if something happened to Emmett? Do you think I would _want_ to live if something happened to you?"

An image of James standing over a lifeless Edward came to mind, and my knees rattled. If James so much as threatened Edward, he would win; I would give him anything he demanded, make any sacrifice, to ensure Edward's safety.

"I need you to stop, Edward. Stop looking for James, and stop hovering over me like I'm a child."

* * *

**EPOV**

She just didn't understand. No matter how many times I argued with myself that there was nothing I could have done to save her from James and Royce, that I hadn't even _known_ her then, I still felt as though I had failed Bella somehow. I had to make up for it by keeping her as safe as possible now.

Emmett and I had bumped into each other several times late at night after the girls had fallen asleep. We were both tense and overly protective, checking locks and windows and patrolling the apartment, looking for dangers where none existed. On top of that, we were both feeling out of place in our new residence. Rose and Bella had made room for us as best they could, but the apartment was small, and the elephants in the room—not only our constant tension and frustration but also a million less dire daily annoyances _(was leaving the seat up really such a big deal?)_—were making us all claustrophobic. So to counteract our nagging sense of uselessness, Em and I hatched plans for an offensive. We would locate this James and let him know, in no uncertain terms, that our women were not to be touched. We would make sure he understood the risk of even _thinking_ about them.

I knew the girls would think we were going caveman on them _(man keep woman safe!)_, but hashing it out with Emmett somehow made me feel better. It gave us something to do, something tangible and productive. Em had been making discreet inquiries among his security contacts, and we were compiling a dossier on James Victor, tracking his movements over the previous ten months. As the weeks went on, information began trickling in. It seemed Royce King had, in fact, helped James skip the country and presumably paid him to stay away. But Mexico had not held his interest long. Whatever money he hadn't spent on alcohol and women he had mostly gambled away, and a run-in with a local gang over a particularly large unpaid debt had sent him scrambling back over the border with whatever cash he had left. After that the trail cooled. He had an ex-wife in Scottsdale who hadn't spoken to him in several years and a mother in Tucson who refused to talk about him.

"No one seems to be able to figure out what he's been up to since he got back," Emmett had told me the previous night. "We have to assume King knows he's here and is probably paying him enough to maintain his silence. I doubt very little happens that Mr. Hotshot doesn't know about." Em had a particularly intense hatred for Rosalie's ex and was compiling a separate file on his activities. I understood his feelings perfectly; every detail I learned about James Victor made my own blood boil faster and hotter. We were both becoming obsessed with information and consumed by our need to know as much as possible about our enemies.

"He'll slip up eventually," I had proclaimed, hoping that I was right and that we would be there when it happened. "Even King can't stop a loose cannon like Victor from going off forever."

Emmett had agreed with me, and we'd eventually returned to our beds—and our girls. As I'd slid in next to Bella, she had rolled into me and tangled her limbs with my own. Her body had been so warm and soft, I couldn't resist touching her and holding her as closely as possible. I traced her hills and valleys with my fingers, mapping her body, memorizing it. She moaned my name in her sleep, and my heart exploded.  
I never wanted to let her go; I wanted to keep her there, safe in my arms, forever.

Yet here we were, not even twelve hours later, arguing again about her safety. I hadn't meant to tell her about the plan to find James, but all reason had left me when she'd _compared_ me with him. Her words had been like a sucker-punch to my gut, and I'd actually felt temporarily winded. She refused to see how dangerous the situation really was. She and Rosalie were on the verge of becoming incredibly wealthy. James had to know that. Perhaps he didn't know the amount, or the terms, but he had to assume that they were getting more from King than he was. The more I knew about him, the less I could anticipate his next move, and it terrified me.

But my protection of Bella—or _over_protection, as she saw it—was clearly starting to strain our relationship, and I began to wonder: was I willing to risk losing Bella's love if it meant saving her life?

The answer, though difficult to accept, was yes.

"I need you to stop, Edward. Stop looking for James, and stop hovering over me like I'm a child."

I looked her in the eye as I answered.

"No."

* * *

**Thanks, as always, for reading!**

**Story Notes:**

**The quote "****A man can never outdo a woman when it comes to love and revenge" comes from the 1989 movie **_**War of the Roses**_** (also the title of this chapter) about a divorcing couple who literally battle each other to death over their house. It stars Kathleen Turner and Michael Douglas. **

**The line "I traced her hills and valleys with my fingers, mapping her body, memorizing it" is inspired by the song "Crack the Shutters" by Snow Patrol. I am in love with this song right now. **

_**It's been minutes, it's been days, it's been all I will remember  
Happy lost in your hair and the cold side of the pillow  
Your hills and valleys are mapped by my intrepid fingers  
And in a naked slumber, I dream all this again**_

_**Crack the shutters open wide, I wanna bathe you in the light of day  
And just watch you as the rays tangle up around your face and body  
I could sit for hours finding new ways to be awed each minute  
Because the daylight seems to want you just as much as I want you**_


	15. Chapter 15: Breakfast at Tiffany's

**Chapter 15: Breakfast at Tiffany's**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

I was incredulous. I wasn't sure I had heard him properly.

"I'm sorry. Did you just tell me _no?_"

"You heard me, Bella." His voice was even and low and his eyes continued to hold mine. "I won't stop trying to protect you. You belong to me, and no one, especially not this low-life scum sucker James, is going to take you away from me."

"I _belong_ to you…" I repeated. A frivolous memory flittered up from the deep recesses of my mind, distracting me. Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard in a taxi in the rain. "People don't belong to people," I murmured, mostly to myself. _Breakfast at Tiffany's_. Just like Holly Golightly, I was terrified of being put in a cage. But in this case, the threat from outside was much greater than my own fears.

James and Royce wanted me to submit, perform, degrade myself for them. Rose wanted me to follow the rules and keep the secret. Edward wanted me to be safe, on his terms.

What about what _I_ wanted? What _I_ needed? Where was _my_ life in all this? I'd followed everyone else's lead for so long, I had completely forgotten myself.

"I'm not something you can claim as your own, Edward," I said at last, trying to keep my own voice as even as possible. I could feel panic rising in my chest, but I willed it back. As much as I wanted Edward in my life, as much as I loved him, I would not allow him to treat me like a porcelain doll, beautiful but fragile, something to keep on a shelf. "My heart is yours, but my self, my soul, my life, they're still mine to give, whenever and to whomever I choose."

"Bell—"

"No!" I stopped him. "It's _my_ turn to talk now! You've had your say. Now hear me."

His jaw flexed as he bit back whatever he was thinking. Setting his teeth, he gestured for me to continue.

"I may not be the strongest woman on the planet, but I've made it this far. Once upon a time I was a woman people admired, envied, respected, even deferred to. I was the one in charge. I worked hard, and I succeeded where most women had failed or never been. Those two cocksuckers took that from me, and I've lived in a dark hole of fear and self-loathing ever since. But I'm finding myself again, finally. And a lot of that is because of you."

When I paused, Edward began to move toward me. I held up a hand to stop him.

"That said, _you_ need to realize that remembering exactly who and what I am, and have been, means that I'm not going to let myself be that cowering girl in the closet anymore. I'm not going to miss out on any more of my life because of Royce King or James Victor or even Rosalie Hale or Edward Masen."

He flinched. I ignored it and picked up my purse and keys.

"I _want_ you to be a part of me, Edward, a part of my life. But I don't want to be your damsel in distress. I don't want you protecting my virtue when I drink too much and want to party. And I sure as fuck will not be trapped in the house and caged like a bird by you or anyone else any longer! So get the fuck out of my way, I have errands to run and I'm going to run them. Alone."

I pushed past him, but he caught my wrist and held it. I whirled on him, eyes blazing.

"Don't!" I yanked my arm free and flung the door open, racing through it and pulling it hard behind me. The sound echoed through the concrete hall and down the stairs to my car. Throwing myself behind the wheel, I started the ignition and peeled out of the lot before Edward or anyone else could catch up with me.

I was free.

I was alone.

I was crying.

Tears flooded my cheeks. They were hot and tasted salty when they rolled onto my lips. I reached into my purse and pulled out my sunglasses. It was another bright Arizona day, and the glasses would hide my swollen eyes long enough for me to swing through the pharmacy drive-thru. My mind spun in a blur of emotion. I was proud of myself, but I also felt shame for hurting Edward in the process. I was pissed as hell at James but terrified of his intentions. I was frustrated by all my friends' behavior but also touched and grateful for their support. I loved Edward, and I feared I had just thrown everything away for a moment of pride.

Tossing the pills on the seat beside me, I sped out of the drive-thru and back out onto the highway. I heard my BlackBerry message tone, but I wasn't ready to see or hear what anyone else had to say just yet. I was still getting the hang of my own voice in my head.

I needed to hear it. I needed to hear my voice, loud, clear, strong. I did the only thing I could think of.

I started screaming.

Not in fear. In anger, perhaps. But in strength as well. Power. Release. Flying along at 70 miles an hour, I unleashed bloodcurdling scream after bloodcurdling scream and prayed that I didn't frighten any other drivers in the process. I kept screaming long after my voice surrendered, my mouth open and the air rushing from my lungs. When I stopped, finally, another errant movie quote popped into my head.

"Tension breaker. Had to be done."

_Summer School,_ I remembered. Mark Harmon in his pre-_NCIS_, _St. Elsewhere,_ Ted Bundy TV movie days.

I started to laugh. And laugh. Rolling waves of laughter rose up from my feet and overtook my whole body until I was shaking with it. At a stoplight, the driver next to me stared and I laughed even harder. When the light changed, I gunned the engine and was off again, driving aimlessly and laughing like a maniac.

_Maybe I _have_ lost my mind,_ I thought when the laughter subsided. Coming to a stop at another light, I looked around and realized for the first time where I was. My stomach growled at the same instant.

_Soup in a bread bowl, coming up!_ I turned into the Wildflower parking lot and practically skipped into the café, feeling lighter than I had in at least a year, probably longer, maybe ever. It didn't fail to register that the last time I'd spazzed out on someone and taken off, this was exactly where I'd ended up. Nor did I fail to recall that that was the day that things had really begun with Edward. Our first kiss. Our first truth. Our first date, and our second, and our third, all in the same day.

I was a different person now. I could feel it. There would be no more running away for me.

My tray rattled and I nearly changed my mind about running when I saw who was waiting for me.

"He thought you might end up here eventually. It took you long enough. Now sit down and tell me what the fuck is going on."

Rosalie.

* * *

**Rosalie POV**

She was…different. Something in the way she stood. Straighter, maybe. I watched her cross the lobby and wait at the counter for her order. Her face changed, wistful, then serious, then wistful again.

Part of me wanted to stand up and cheer. _Bella's grown a new backbone! About fucking time!_

But another part of me wanted to smack her upside the head and give her hell for making us worry.  
The broken man sitting on the floor of the apartment was my first clue that the world had shifted. My initial reaction when Emmett and I walked in was that something bad had happened to Bella. I couldn't fathom any other cause for Edward's pale, shaken expression or the lost look in his eyes.

"Edward! What the fuck is it? What happened? Where's Bella?" I shouted questions at him as I shook him, trying to snap him back to reality. "Did James—?"

He shook his head. "No. At least, I don't think so. I don't know." His hands slid into his hair and pulled large fistfuls of it up, nearly yanking them out at the root. "She left."

"She left," I repeated. "Where the hell did she go? Why aren't you with her?"

"Rose," Emmett cautioned, putting a hand on my shoulder. I closed my eyes and tried to reign in the panic and anger roiling inside me.

"She—she didn't want me," Edward stuttered out. "She didn't want me to go." His fists released his hair and opened, his palms sliding down hard against his face, distorting the skin and dragging his features into something out of a Dali painting.

I stood up. "And you let her leave? Are you fucking out of your mind?"

His head snapped up at that, and his eyes darkened. "Fuck you, Rosalie."

"Edward!" Emmett leapt to my defense as Edward rose to his feet. I glared at them both. Emmett backed down, but Edward returned my glare with venom.

"She left because we've been _suffocating_ her," he spat out. "She told me she was less trapped in the library with your cocksucking husband and his bitch than she is now, here, with us."

I could see the pain on his face at the recollection, but rather than sympathize with him, I was suddenly in awe of Bella.

"She said that?"

He must have heard the respect in my voice. He rolled his eyes and huffed in exasperation.

"Not in those words, exactly, but yeah. Pretty damn close."

I tilted my head in thought. Bella hadn't confronted anyone about anything directly in a long time. And to use the library as a weapon, rather than a crutch?

"Wow," I said finally. "You must have really pissed her off."

If he appreciated my attempt at humor, he didn't show it, except to raise his eyebrows a fraction.

"It wasn't just me." He went on to explain their fight, and how Bella had declared herself. I'd always respected Bella, but that night in the library had changed her, and in some ways changed my feelings about her as well. The snarky, sexy, powerful woman I'd met and grown to love had been evicted, replaced by the trembling, screaming, constantly vanishing girl that hid in closets and pushed everyone away. My guilt at putting her in that position, my love for the woman she'd been, and my undying loyalty to our friendship had kept me with her, watching out for her and supporting her, but I _had_ wondered on more than one occasion if I'd ever see _my_ Bella again.

If hurting and walking out on Edward was what it took to finally bring that Bella back, then it was worth whatever he was feeling now. His love for her had certainly brought the pieces back into the room, but it was ultimately up to her to assemble herself into a whole person again.

"We have to find her," Edward sighed as he finished. "She's been gone a while, and she's not answering her phone or any of my texts."

Emmett spoke up. "If she wants to be alone, man, then maybe you should just leave 'er be."

I nodded in agreement. "She just needs time to regroup, Edward. She'll be back."

"How can you say that, Rose?" He answered, his voice an octave higher. "You know how dangerous it is out there for her!"

"I'm sure she's fine." I sighed, considering. "But yeah, I suppose we _should_ maybe do a loop and see if we can find her. Where do you think she'd go?"

Edward mentioned the pharmacy, then rattled off a few places he knew Bella liked. I made a few suggestions as well, and we divvied up the locations among the three of us. I took the most likely place—the bread shop where Edward said they'd kissed and really talked for the first time. I knew Bella was fond of that particular memory, and I didn't want it tainted by Edward going in there after her in anger or frustration. I didn't bother going to the pharmacy; I was sure whatever Bella had needed from there she would have gotten and moved on. So I went straight to Wildflower and waited. It wasn't long before I saw her pull in. She was smiling. She got her food and headed toward me, her mind clearly a million miles away until she registered me in front of her. I saw the soup slop over the side of the bread bowl as her tray dipped slightly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in response to my statement. Then her face darkened. "Wait—hold on. Are you fucking kidding me with this shit?" She slammed the tray onto the table, hard. "He sent you to watch me? Did he not listen to a fucking word I said? And how did you know I'd be _here?_"

"Holy overreaction, Bella!" I answered, leaning toward her. "I took a guess that you'd end up here, that's all. Edward and Emmett are wandering around town trying to find you too, I just got lucky. Now sit down, for Chrissakes, you're making a scene." I flipped the bird to a particularly nosy old woman, causing her to drop her sandwich. Bella followed my gaze, snorted, then turned back to me.

"I don't give a rat's ass, Rose. I'm done. I'm out of the hiding and cowering business. If you and Edward can't deal with that, then that's just too fucking bad. Now go away, you're spoiling my very nice afternoon _ALONE._"

I raised my hands in surrender and rose from the booth. "Okay, fine. I'll tell him you're alive and well and leave it at that; you can fill in the details later." I hesitated and then reached out and put a hand on her shoulder.

"You look good, Bells," I said, smiling at her. "Really good. Stronger."

"I'm trying to be," she answered. "It's gonna take some time, but I need to be _me_ again, y' know?"

"Absolutely. And I'm behind you a hundred percent. You know that." I pulled her to me and hugged her, hard. She put her arms around me as well, and we stood there a moment. "Just do us all a favor and check in, okay?" I whispered in her ear as we separated. "Edward's out of his mind with worry, and I need to know you're okay too."

"Yes, _mom,_" she replied, rolling her eyes. I started to walk away.

"Rose?"

"Hm?" I turned back.

"Do you think Edward will still love me when I'm not the soft, fragile Bella anymore? I mean, if I change, do you think I'll lose him?"

"You'll still be Bella," I answered. "Just more durable. Of course he'll still love you. Besides, if he didn't, I'd cut off his balls too."

I groaned inwardly as the words left my mouth and waited for her to cringe at the reference.

She laughed instead. A real laugh.

Well fuck me twice. My Bella really _was_ coming back.

"Love you, Rose," she called out.

"Love you more, bitch!" I returned, leaving her to her cold soup and soggy bread.

* * *

**EPOV**

"She's fine, Edward," the voice on the phone said. "You can go home now."

I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks Rose. Is she coming home too?"

"I don't know. Eventually. She's taking some time for herself, but she seems good. I made her promise to check in."

"Where is she?" Maybe I could just drive by and check on her.

"Un-un." I could almost hear Rosalie's head shaking. "Leave her alone. She'll come back when she's ready to."

I rubbed my face for the umpteenth time in an hour and tried to stay calm. "Fine. Okay."

"She loves you, Edward. She'll come back," Rose reassured me. "Just keep an open mind and hear her out, okay? She needs you to accept and love her, no matter what she's going through."

"I just want her to be happy."

"I know." _Click._

I looked at the phone. _Goodbye to you too,_ I thought sarcastically. Rosalie had a way of getting under my skin sometimes, but unfortunately, it was usually because she was speaking some truth I wasn't ready or willing to hear.

My thumb twitched over the keypad of my cellphone. I wanted to call Bella, to hear her voice and know for myself that she was okay.

_Leave her alone._ Rose's words echoed in my head. _She'll come back._

I thought about Bella's reaction when I told her I wouldn't back off. She'd been furious, but it was a controlled fury. Her face revealed little, but her eyes—the chocolate in her eyes had blazed in the heat that flared up behind them. She had never looked more beautiful to me, and I'd dared to claim her as my own.

_You belong to me,_ I'd said. For a second, her eyes had flickered.

_"People don't belong to people,"_ she had whispered, so quietly I could barely make out the words. They hadn't registered then, and the words that followed had buried them in my memory until just this moment.

I looked down at the phone in my hand again, recognition dawning on me. I began to type.

_I love you no matter who you are—Bella Swan, Lula Mae, or Holly Golightly. Come back beautiful girl. When you're ready, I'll be waiting._

Send.

I drove back the apartment, my mind and heart full of Bella, unaware of anyone or anything else around me. I let myself in and tossed my keys onto the counter. I needed a shower, maybe a nap, anything to kill time and clear my head until she came home, until she was here in my arms and I could tell her how much I loved her. Until I could show her, again and again, how very much she meant to me. I headed for Bella's room to get myself a change of clothes. Pushing open the door, I crossed to the dresser.

"Would you love me more if I looked like Audrey Hepburn?"

I spun around and my eyes traveled to the bed. Her legs were crossed at the ankle. I followed them up toward her pelvic bone, across her stomach and over the curves of her breasts. She was propped up on one elbow, and her hair fell in long, loose tendrils down her neck and onto her chest. Her lips and one eyebrow were raised in a self-satisfied smirk, and her eyes were lit with something that stopped my heart.

She was naked and waiting for me.

I was too stunned by her presence, her beauty, and her nakedness to react appropriately. Smiling wider, she swung her legs off the side of the bed and rose, stalking catlike toward me and pushing the door closed as she passed it.

"N-No," I finally managed to stammer out. She paused, and the smile vanished as her face registered hurt. She'd misunderstood. I stepped toward her and pulled her into my arms, breathing in her scent and relishing the feel of her hair against my cheek.

"You are light years more beautiful than Audrey Hepburn," I explained, tilting her head up to my face. She took my breath away—and then she smiled, and my heart stopped again before taking off, beating wildly as her lips found my own. My hands tightened in her hair as I lost myself in the feel of her mouth. She was so soft, her flesh so pliable as it molded itself with mine. I was overwhelmed by her, and I pulled away slightly to breathe before burying my lips in her neck and along her jaw. She shifted her head back and to the side, granting me access, and I heard her moan as I reached the spot behind her ear. I kissed her there and trailed my tongue along her skin, tasting her delicious flavor.

"Touch me, Edward." Her voice was quiet but commanding. I released her hair, dropping one hand to her lower back and pulling her against my body as my other hand snaked between us and began to fondle and caress her breast. I continued kissing her as I explored, listening to her breath hitch and the low guttural noises she made when my thumb grazed her hardened peak. I leaned into her then, making her bend backward slightly as I kissed down her collarbone and chest. The hand on her back moved higher to support her as I took her previously neglected breast into my mouth, teasing the nipple with my tongue. Bella mumbled an expletive and wrapped one arm around my neck for balance as she bent even farther backward, pushing both her breasts up toward me. I released the one and began paying tribute to the other in the same way, reveling in the way she flooded all my senses.

"Oh God, Bella, I love you," I murmured against her skin. I stood upright, pulling her body back up to mine. I needed to feel her close to me, to know that she was really here in my arms, that no matter what, she loved me as I loved her. She slid her hands beneath my shirt as she put her arms around me, and I could feel the fabric lift until it was over my head. She stepped into me then, pressing the side of her face to my chest and holding onto me tightly.

"I can hear your heart, Edward."

"It's yours, my beautiful girl."

She placed her palm against my chest, feeling the beat of my heart as well as listening to it. A moment passed in silence as I held my love and our pulses beat in proximity, and then suddenly she was pulling my head to hers again. Her fingers gripped my hair and her tongue grazed my lips, seeking entry. My hands traveled down her body, pausing to memorize every curve until they reached her round, perfect ass, and then lower to her thighs. My fingers pressed into them, and I lifted her up, her legs twining automatically around my hips. The action caused her wet heat to connect with my denim-clad erection, and we moaned in unison.

"I want to make you come for me, Bella," I panted. She moaned again in response. I stepped backward, still carrying her, and turned around when I felt the dresser against my legs. I set her down gently and broke free of her hold. Her lips were pink and swollen, and I leaned in to taste them again before dropping to my knees before her and parting her legs with kisses to her inner thighs. As I reached my destination she held her breath in anticipation. I could smell her sex; it enveloped me and made me dizzy with love and lust. I licked my lips and pressed them to her clit, causing her to buck and gasp. I smiled and returned again with wet, open-mouth kisses. I wanted to devour her—to take every drop of her essence inside myself and carry it with me forever. My tongue became jealous of my lips and pushed its way to her, seeking her flavor and offering her pleasure in return. I plunged it into her, seeking more sustenance from her folds. She writhed above and against me, and her fingers intertwined in my hair as she sought more friction.

I touched her then, sliding one finger into her wetness, coating it liberally before pushing it inside, where her muscles and hot flesh clenched around it.

"More," she whimpered. "Please…"

I added my mouth again, and a second finger, hooking my digits in search of the spot that would bring her to ecstasy. I lapped and sucked and toyed with her, teasing, building up the tension inside her and letting it fall before building it up again. She begged me to let her come, begged me to fuck her, pulled my face to her body and tried to force me to finish, but I wouldn't. I wanted to taste her forever, keep her needing me like this for as long as possible. I wanted to see her explode, not just with the heat of a moment's passion but with the tidal wave of absolute bliss. Finally I couldn't stand it anymore, and I pulled out all the stops, adding a third finger and working her clit with my tongue, alternately teasing and sucking at a faster and faster pace, matching my movements inside her. Her thighs began to tremble violently and her moans increased in volume.

"Edward,…fuck yes…please baby, please…"

With one last thrust of my fingers her insides clamped down hard and she cried out. Fluid poured from her as she rode out her rapture, and I licked and sucked her clean, sparking another round of contractions.

"Fuck Bella, you taste so incredible," I murmured into her, my voice and breath causing her to twitch and jerk erratically. When she began to still I plunged my lips into her again, not ready to let her come down, and within moments she was crying out with her third orgasm. This time I stood, keeping my fingers inside her, and I watched her face contort and her fingers clench around the edge of the dresser. I kissed her then, hard. She returned my fervor, tasting herself on me and whimpering again. I couldn't wait any longer.

"My pants, Bella," I gasped around her lips. "Help me. I need to be inside you."

Her fingers flew to my jeans, and within moments I was free. Without hesitation I pulled my fingers from her and replaced them with my cock, sliding easily in and groaning at the sheer pleasure of being sheathed within her again.

"Oh fucking God yes," she grunted, dropping her head to my shoulder as her body adjusted to me. I began to move then. The dresser rocked and slammed into the wall as we built up a rhythm.

"Bed…floor…down…" Bella gasped out. I lifted her again, and the shift caused me to slide deeper into her. I growled, unable to make any intelligible human response to the sensation. I stumbled to the bed, my lips never leaving hers, our bodies connected, and we fell together onto the mattress, Bella on top, the force of our landing causing her to slam onto me. She cried out and rode me hard, increasing her rhythm to an impossible pace. I watched her body, watched my cock sliding in and out of her, and I knew I wouldn't last much longer. I flipped us then, assuming control. I pushed my finger into her mouth and she sucked it, making my cock twitch dangerously. I pulled the finger from her mouth and moved it to her clit, working her outside as well as in, holding back my own impending explosion in order to bring her with me into oblivion.

"Edward!" she cried out, and I felt her legs trembling again. I was cutting it close, and hearing her scream my name sent me over the edge just as her walls closed in around me, drawing out my orgasm just as I had done to her, torturing me with the complete abandon of release and the promise of heaven. As the pulsing subsided I withdrew and collapsed next to her, registering for the first time the fine sheen of sweat that sparkled all over her skin. I caught one rolling droplet with my tongue and tasted salt and sex and pure Bella.

We lay there panting, our hearts pounding, our bodies spent, for what felt like mere moments and yet hours upon weeks. Time was irrelevant; I was Bella's and she was mine.

"I love you, Edward," I heard her say as we drifted to sleep in each other's arms. "I do belong to you."

"As I belong to you," I answered, pulling the sheet over us.

* * *

**Thanks for reading, and thanks to my prereader ooza and my friends and readers who regularly comment: BACsmedea, sballLuvr5, CassieCat97, and cgoodwi2! I love getting feedback. (HINT HINT!) **

**Story Note:**

_**Breakfast at Tiffany's**_** was released in 1961. It is based on the novel by Truman Capote and stars Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. Lula Mae and Holly GoLightly are both names of Hepburn's character. If you haven't seen it, you need to go get it at Blockbuster or download it from Netflix now. It's a classic film with a Hollywood icon in one of her most acclaimed roles (and the guy who played Hannibal on **_**The A-Team **_**TV show—great way to get your guy to watch. Just sayin'!). It should not be missed. **

**_Summer School_ is a 1987 comedy starring Mark Harmon. I haven't seen it since probably 1988, but I can still quote it. And I highly recommend the screaming tension-breaker. It works.  
**


	16. Chapter 16: Boogie Nights

**Chapter 16: Boogie Nights**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

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* * *

**

**BPOV**

After what came to be known as "Tits Has Balls Day" (Emmett, of course), things became a lot less tense and a lot more normal. Edward still hovered over me a bit, but he gave me as much space as he could stand without going crazy, and I kept him happy with regular check-ins and copious amounts of sex.

Men will agree to anything for a blowjob. That fact is God's true gift to women.

I wasn't 100% "cured" of my panic attacks and nightmares, but I was well on my way to feeling human again. Asserting myself felt good after such a long period of passive submission. I tested Edward's patience quite a bit in the process, and even Rose got her thong in a twist now and then, but I took that as a good sign.

Emmett and Jasper left for a couple of weeks' work in Los Angeles, some voice dubbing and production meetings, the kinds of things that happened mostly behind closed doors. Alice decided, since there weren't any public events in the offing, that she would stay behind in Phoenix with us. The designs for her new line were coming along really well. She credited the suggestions she'd gotten from me, Rose, and Esme as well as the desert setting for her success, so she was more inclined to stay put than risk losing her "mojo."

Rose and I convinced her to stay with us for a few days, much to Edward's chagrin.

"I can't watch out for you from my apartment," he complained. "And I'll be so borrrrred! Emmett's gone, what am I gonna do?"

"Well, you can stay here with us and have your nails painted and your hair braided, PussyWard," Rose quipped as she walked past us to the kitchen. "I'm sure we can dig up some chick flicks you haven't memorized yet."

I snickered as Edward glared over the couch at her. "I'm sure you can find plenty to do, Edward. I mean, we haven't really been together all that long, you know? What did you do before you met me?"

He rolled his eyes. "The usual, I guess. Watched TV, read books, some writing…"

"See? Plenty to do. Work on your book. Play on Twitter and all those blog sites you're always reading and get caught up on the latest celebrity insanity. Perfect." I leaned back against his chest and went back to my book. I was reading _Near Dawn,_ the book Jasper's movie had been based on. It was a fairly light bit of teen vampire romance, but the story was interesting enough. Rose had gushed ridiculously about the movie and made me swear to watch it with her soon, now that I knew her secret crush, but I refused until I'd read the story first and I wanted to finish before Alice arrived. Rose was freaking out that Alice might see something "incriminating" and it would make things weird between them, so she'd spent most of the day boxing up her Jas-porn collection, as I'd dubbed it.I had three chapters left and was reading as fast as I could despite Edward's wandering hands and random complaining.

"But I'm gonna miss you, Bells," he moaned again. This time I was the one rolling my eyes.

"Don't worry, Edward," I said distractedly, still reading. "I'm sure we can figure out a way for you to get your daily orgasms in."

"Really? Like how?" The excitement in his voice was ridiculous. Men were truly governed by their peens. I shook my head and ignored him.

"Skype!" Rose threw out as she sank into a chair across from us. "Sexting! Phone sex! Come on, Edward, use your imagination."

"And it's not like you're banned from the house, babe," I added. "You CAN come over. I mean, with Emmett gone, it's not like Rose's bed will be getting any action. Alice can sleep in there with her." I looked up as Rose stuck her tongue out at me.

I laughed and winked back. "Aww, don't be like that Rose! Maybe you can talk Alice into a threesome with Jasper after he gets back."

Edward groaned. "Ew, please do NOT put things like that into my head!"

Rose stood and flounced out of the room, her face slightly pink. "Oh you are SO going to pay for that, Swan!" she called over her shoulder.

"What'd you do that for?" Edward asked.

"Just defending my man," I said, my attention back on the book in front of me. "You didn't think I was gonna let her get away with calling you a pussy, now, did you?" I turned a page.

"Er, guess not," he answered.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Hanging out with Alice was a lot of fun. I'd never had girlfriends growing up, so I had never actually had a slumber party of any kind, although I'm certain if I had they would NOT have involved the vast quantity of alcohol that we consumed. Charlie would never have stood for it, but Renee might have gone along with it and probably joined in, now that I thought about it.

Esme brought Alice over, and they arrived laden down with bags of supplies for frozen margaritas and other concoctions, three flavors of ice cream, ridiculous quantities of snack foods, and a stack of ridiculous-sounding porn DVDs.

_"When Harry Ate Sally?"_ I read. "_Buffy the Vampire Layer?_ Seriously?"

"I'll bet Edward hasn't committed the dialogue of _those_ films to memory," Esme teased. Rose and Alice doubled over laughing. I felt my jaw drop and my face heat to about a thousand degrees.

"No," Rose snorted. "But I'll bet he's familiar with the sound effects!"

_Kill me now. Please. _

I picked up the last case and broke into hysterics of my own.

"What?" Rose yelled. "What is it?" I tossed it to her and watched as her eyes widened in horror. It only made me laugh harder.

Alice giggled. "I couldn't resist that when I saw it. I wanna see their Jasper lookalike!"

The DVD was titled _Near Dong._

This was going to be so much fucking fun, I couldn't wait. We tried to convince Esme to stay, but after a small margarita she begged off.

"Can't leave Carlisle home all alone. He's liable to try to cook for himself, and then I'd have to repaint the kitchen," she smiled. "Besides, as much fun as you girls are, I'm not sure I want to be privy to the dimensions of my boys' equipment or their favorite positions. Some things a mother—even a dirty whore like myself—just isn't ready to hear!" She left with a wink and a wave and told us to call if we needed anything.

_God I loved that woman._

"God I love that woman," Rose sighed, shaking her head. The three of us looked at each other and collapsed in another fit of laughter.

More hours and many more drinks later than I was capable of counting, we were sprawled out across the living room watching yet another version of girl-does-girl-while-pervy-hung-stalker-dude-watches, this time with pasty white vampires who apparently seduced their victims with sparkling sex organs. The girls' hoohahs looked like vajazzling gone horribly wrong. But that was nothing compared with the men. Testicles are simply not meant to look like disco balls.

"It looks like a jar of body glitter 'sploded in his boxers," Alice slurred, her eyes fixated on the screen as she reached for another handful of popcorn. The main male character was the Jasper clone, and I had to admit, he was pretty close looks-wise. "My Jas would _never_ hold his dick that way, though," she mused.

I wasn't quite sure what it was about the man's cock hold that was particularly odd, but I was past caring by then. Rose, however, groaned from her spot under the coffee table. She refused to look at the screen whenever Pornsper was on, and instead had taken cover under the table with one of the couch pillows over her head.

"Maybe he's jus' gotta be careful how he rubs. Glitter prolly burns like a son'fabitch," I suggested. Rose groaned again as Alice nodded. My attention was caught again as the brunette human girl started going down on Mr. Sparkle Peen. She was probably going to be flossing sparkle out of her gums for weeks. "I jus' keep waitin' for someone to shine a light on his balls and start up some _Saturday Night Fever_."

Alice laughed, Rose groaned, and my phone rang.

"H'lo?" I mumbled.

_"Bella?"_ It was Edward. Edward! My own personal sparkly peen.

"Edward! My sparkle peen!"

* * *

**EPOV**

I looked at the phone. Her what?

"Your what?"

_"Erm, nothingnevermind!"_ The words ran together. I could hear some commotion, like she was moving around, and voices laughing in the background. _"Fuck you both!"_ she yelled at one point. She swore several more times under her breath, but it was incoherent and rambling. I started laughing.

"Bells, are you drunk?"

_"Preddymuch. Your mom brought margareeeetas! They were muy yummy."_

My mother?_ Oh holy fucking nightmare. _My mother is there?

_"Edward?"_ Oh, right, the phone. Bella.

"Please tell me you did not just call me 'sparkle peen' in front of my mother," I growled at her, pinching the bridge of my nose. Stay calm, stay calm.

_"Edwaaard, are you pinching your nose?"_ she asked, giggling. How did she know that? _"I 'ave better things for yutta pinch, y'know."_

Jesus Christ.

"Bella! Where are you? Is my mom still there?"

She laughed harder. _"No silly!" _Oh thank God. _"Esme brought the drinks and the Alice and the porn but she dint wanna hear 'bout your penis so she lef."_

I closed my eyes and gripped a chunk of my hair in my hand. Maybe this was some bizarre nightmare and I could wake myself up if I pulled hard enough.

"My mother brought you porn? Jesus fucking Christ."

_"Don't pull yer hair out. I don' wanchu to go bald,"_ she slurred back. I was beginning to get paranoid. How did she know so much? I peeked out the windows. Nope, no Bella.

"How did you know I'm pulling my hair?"

_"Cuz thaz whatchu do, and I know you, baby! I know whatchu do when yer pissed, and when yer frustrated, and I really really know whatchu do when yer about to come cuz yer eyebrows do that sexy mush-together thing, and—"_

Please stop.

"Bells, please tell me you're alone right now." Please please please.

_"I'm alone righ' now,"_ she repeated. _"Rose is under the coffee table hiding from the Sparkly Pornsper and Alice is comparing his dick-rubbing to Jasper's an' I'm in the bedroom on the floor cuz the bed is too high for me righ' now."_ She snorted out a laugh.

Sparkly Pornsper? And I'm not even gonna _think_ about the dick-rubbing thing. "I'm gonna need a big bottle of brain bleach after this conversation," I mumbled.

_"I know what to do!"_ she shouted. I winced. _"Imma get naked for you! That will wipe all the Jas-peen from your brain, right?"_

"Dear God, I hope so," I answered. _If I never hear the word Jas-peen again, I might just survive this._ "And how exactly am I going to hear you getting naked, Bella?"

_"Easy!"_ she squealed. _"I'll jus' tell you what I'm takin' off!"_

Of course. Why didn't I think of that? Oh yeah. I was too busy scrubbing "Jas-peen" from my brain. Fuck, now I have to start over.

"Tell me what you're wearing, baby." Maybe if I played along, I could replace the nightmare in my mind with some sexy Bellavision. _Heh, Bellavision. That's much better._

_"I missed you, so I'm wearin' a pair of the boxers you lef' here an' yer _Eraserhead_ t-shirt,"_ she answered.

Oh shit, that shirt is a one-of-a-kind. I battled some loser on eBay for that thing. Please let it be—wait, did she say she's wearing my boxers? _Fuck that's hot._ Her pussy in my shorts. _Bella's pussy._ Much better imagery, keep it coming—pun intended.

"Fuck that's hot, baby. Anything else?"

_"Nnnnnnope!"_ She said, popping the "p" in a way that made my eardrum rattle. Somewhere, I'm sure, a kitten just died. Ouch. _"Aaaaaaand ooops! No more _Eraserhead!_"_

I stifled the panic and the images of my David Lynch collectible being crumpled under her bed or tossed randomly into a trash can and tried to focus on topless Bella.

"I love your tits," I crooned, trying to encourage her. "I miss them."

_"They miss you too,"_ she mumbled, her voice low.

"Can you stand up and take off the boxers now, baby? I want you to be all naked for me."

_"Mkay."_ I heard movement. The phone thudded, and I assumed she dropped it. _"Hang on, takin'm'off,"_ she called. I heard her pick up the phone again. _"M'all naked for you now, Edward,"_ she said. _"M'on my bed and naked and all alone. Sad Bellaaaaa,"_ her voice trailed off into a yawn. _"I miss you."_

"I miss you too. I love you, Bella."

Silence.

"Bella?"

Silence, then a snore.

Well fuck. She's asleep and I've got a hard on. _Looks like Pornsper isn't the only one doing some__ dick-rubbing tonight. _

Aaaaand, problem solved. Re-commence brain bleaching.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Are you sure you don't want me to go with you?" I asked for the thousandth time. We were in my bed, naked and snuggling in our usual post-coital haze. I was trailing my fingers along her back and staring at the ceiling.

"I'll be fine," she murmured, shifting her face slightly so she could kiss my chest. "I'll be with Rose and the lawyers and it will be a very open, very public place in broad daylight. Don't worry."

"I'm not just worried about your safety, Bell." I stopped touching her and held her tighter to me instead. "Seeing that fucking prick after all this time, after what he did to you…I'm concerned about how it will affect you."

Bella and I had been together for months now, and except for his one menacing call, there had been no signs of James Victor anywhere near Phoenix to our knowledge. Bella and Rosalie insisted that he'd probably just wanted to rattle them and that we shouldn't worry anymore about him. They were convinced that once they met the conditions of the agreement and received their money from King, they would be untouchable.

_"We'll hire a half dozen guys the size of Emmett to stand guard around us at all times,"_ Rosalie had joked one night, earning herself a "Hey!" and a rear-end smack from my brother.

_"We'll hire a pack of dogs the size of horses to patrol the grounds!"_ Bella had thrown in, laughing.

Emmett and I, on the other hand, were still not taking chances. The girls could play it off all they wanted, but we were going to be prepared, just in case.

"You can't come into the meeting, Edward, and it's probably best you aren't around so that Royce doesn't see you and maybe get it into his head to fuck with you. Best case scenario would be if they don't know you and Emmett are in our lives at all. But the reality is, they've probably been watching us closely enough to know better. The photos with Jasper and Alice didn't help either. We need to be sure they believe you're still in the dark about the library, if nothing else."

"Then let Emmett go, at least," I argued. "If they already know Rose and Emmett are together, it would make sense for him to accompany her to her divorce proceeding, wouldn't it?"

She shook her head slightly. "We don't know that they know, we're just assuming. And bringing the man she's sleeping with to her divorce proceeding might not be the smartest move. I'm only supposed to be going for 'moral support'; nobody knows I'm there to collect a share of something as well. Plus, it's likely that the divorce will make the papers and possibly some tabloids. If Emmett's identified as Rose's boyfriend, lover, whatever—and subsequently connected to Jasper and Alice—that could bring up a whole mess of gossip for your friends and family. Neither of us wants that."

I rolled my eyes. "Bella, none of us cares as much about bad press as we do about you and Rosalie being safe and happy. I know Emmett sure as hell doesn't care. And the paparazzi don't care what Jasper's bodyguard is up to anyway. When he's not with Jazz, Emmett's just as much a nobody as I am."

She lifted her head and looked at me.

"You are not a nobody, Edward Masen." She started planting soft, quick kisses around my chest. One hand slid down my rib cage and along my side to my hip, where she dug her fingers into my flesh. I tried to focus on the conversation, but she shifted her body so that she was halfway on top of me.

"You're trying to distract me, Bella," I groaned. "Stop. I want to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about. Besides, I have better uses for my mouth." She raised an eyebrow and grinned mischievously and then slid herself down my body until I could feel her breath against the tip of my cock.

_Oh Jesus. Bella's mouth. _

_Stop! Focus! _

_Focusing Focusing…ohmyfuckinggodIlovethiswoman'stongue!_

Discussion closed.

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**BPOV****  
**  
When my BlackBerry alarm sounded the next morning, I was both blissed out and cranky. Blissed because I was waking up yet again naked with Edward and very, very satisfied, and cranky because it was too fucking early in the morning to have to leave him. Unfortunately, however, I needed to get home to my apartment to get ready with Rose for the morning's meeting.

_Holy shit, in the next few hours I will become a multimillionaire._

Excitement. Shock. Momentary daydreams of exotic trips to faraway places. With Edward.

_And all I had to do for it was nearly get raped and have my head bashed in. _

End daydream, cue nightmare.

A chill passed through me, and I had a fleeting moment of dread. Something was going to go wrong, I just knew it. They'd found out that we told Emmett and Edward about that night. Or maybe they'd never intended to give us the money and they'd used the year to set us up. Maybe it was a trap, and Royce would hand me over to James like some kind of consolation prize.

Yeah, so I was still prone to paranoia and nightmare scenarios. Can you blame me, really? But I hid it well, apparently, because Edward was convinced I wasn't taking the threat from James seriously enough.

Believe me, I was _definitely_ taking it seriously. I just wasn't about to show fear in front of Edward or anyone else. I'd been doing that for too long. My friends weren't going to fight my battles for me anymore. So I would be attending the meeting today with Rose and no one else. We were all each other needed in this situation. But deep down I knew it was going to get worse before it got better.

I rolled out of bed and threw on the previous day's clothes. Edward stirred for a moment, then snored abruptly and was still. I laughed quietly and leaned down to kiss his cheek before tiptoeing out.

Back at the apartment, I found Rose in some kind of Tasmanian devil whirlwind. She zoomed from the bathroom to her bedroom and back, her hair in rollers and her face half done. Music was blaring from her iPod, some loud power-rock stuff obviously intended to pump her up for the "battle" ahead. I peeked into her room and laughed when I saw Emmett's shape under the covers and two pillows stacked on his head. Only his burly arms were visible, pinning the pillows down in a vain attempt to block out the noise.

"Hey, Asshole!" I called. It was my new nickname for him. The pillows rose up and flipped as he sat up.

"Hiya Tits!" he grinned.

"Edward's still sleeping, so if you want some quiet, I suggest you head home," I told him. "It's only going to get louder here. It's my turn to get ready!"

"I sincerely doubt you can get any louder than my Rosie." He winked at me. "I'm gonna hang here a while longer though. See you girls safely off to your meeting…you know." He shrugged.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you!" I turned to leave, but looked back over my shoulder. He was watching my ass, the horndog. "Thanks, Em," I said, meaning it. "For everything."

His eyes never moved. "Sure thing, Tits."

"And quit staring at my bum, Asshole!" I laughed as I walked out. I heard him groan and flop back down onto the bed, no doubt burying himself beneath the pillows again. Rose popped her head out of the bathroom.

"Bella! When did you get home?" she shouted over the music. Over her shoulder I could see her iHome on the bathroom counter. Her brushes and makeup jars were twitching with the vibrations. As I approached her I put my hands over my ears in exaggerated agony.

"Whaaaaaat?" I shouted. "I can't heaaaarr yoooou!"

She reached over and cut off the iPod. The abrupt silence was almost as loud as the music.

"Jesus, Rose, you do realize it's a little early for a rock concert, right? The tenants in the building across the street are plugging their ears."

"I'm just getting myself psyched up. I have to look fabulous, young, beautiful, and completely fucking in control today. And so do you. We need to own their fucking asses. We're getting what we deserve, Bells, finally. And after today our lives are going to be a million times better, I promise." She turned back to the mirror and finished applying her mascara. "Okay, I'm done for now, so get your shower while I let my hair dry some more. When you're done I'll put yours up in the rest of the rollers and we'll get started on your makeup too."

"Rose—" I started to object. She waved me off.

"Bella, you know this is going to be tough. I want you to go in there feeling like a million bucks. Make that _five_ million bucks. You need to be power-Bella today, and I am going to make sure that you are. So no arguments!" She grabbed her makeup bag and a pile of clothes from the floor and squeezed past me. "Shower! Now!" she ordered, and I had no choice but to obey. I closed the door and leaned against it for a moment, then turned to look at myself in the mirror.

"Power Bella," I murmured to myself. The eyes that looked back at me were tired and nervous. I was going to need all the help Rose could give me if I was going to pull off looking "completely fucking in control" today.

Starting with some help from her iPod. I pressed the button, and the jars on the counter resumed twitching as I stripped down and turned on the water.

When I got out of the shower, I threw my hair in a towel and tied my robe around me before going in search of Rose. She was in my room.

"What are you doing?" I asked. She was hanging halfway into my closet, obviously digging for something in particular, although I wasn't sure what. That side of my closet hadn't been touched in months.

"I'm looking for that adorable Kate Spade skirt you bought before you quit," she grunted, shoving aside an armload of clothes. "You never got to wear it, and it would be perfect today. Where is it?"

I rolled my eyes. "You borrowed it about 6 months ago, Rose. It's probably in your closet. Or out with the dry cleaning you never pick up."

"Oh. Right. Be right back!" She darted past me and returned with the simple black skirt, wrapped in dry cleaners' plastic. At least it was clean. "I have the perfect top for it too," she said, waving another hanger at me.

She hung the outfit on my closet door and turned to survey me. I felt like I was being sized up for sale, the way her eyes scanned me from toe to head and back again. We'd gone for mani/pedis a few days earlier, and Rose had decided we needed to be fully waxed as well, so I knew I didn't have a hair out of place anywhere on my body. For that matter, aside from my head and eyebrows, I didn't have any hair _left_ anywhere on my body, out of place or otherwise. Edward had been especially appreciative of the Brazilian. His response had almost been worth the excruciating pain.

"You're going to need the fuck-me boots too, I think," she said, twisting her mouth in a thoughtful expression as she continued her inventory. "We'll leave your hair down, and I have some jewelry that will work."

"I am capable of putting an outfit together and doing my own hair, you know," I grumbled. I wasn't going to win an argument with Rose on this score today.

"Shut up and let me do my thing, Bella," she answered. "You'll love me when it's done."

I surrendered.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The drive was quiet. I think the enormity of what we were going to do was finally hitting both of us. At least we had one advantage: the meeting was on our turf. We'd insisted that Royce and his lawyers meet us at our attorney's office, rather than at King Financial. Under Arizona law, an uncontested divorce could be handled by attorneys without going to court as long as both parties were willing to cooperate in settling the terms, so as long as Royce kept to the deal he'd made with Rose a year ago, the process should be fairly simple. As for my deal, I was hoping it would come down to signing a few papers and getting the hell out of Dodge as fast as possible. The lawyers would handle the bulk of the work; we were really only there to put on a good show and sign the documents.

We sat around the long conference table. Rose and I sat with Mr. Jenks along one side, Royce and his lawyers on the other. I recognized Victoria Laurent from King's Legal Department, but the other two, Aro Volturi and Marcus Demetri, were only vaguely familiar from the year before. My memory of those days after the assault were still hazy. Victoria was only there to cover for King Financial; on the books, I'd already received my "severance package." The rest of my money, and all of Rosalie's settlement, would be coming from Royce's personal holdings and secret accounts.

The lawyers jabbered among themselves for several minutes. I tuned out most of what they said, as they were discussing the terms of the divorce and the dispensation of houses and cars and other minutia of marriage. Rosalie signed document after document. Both she and Royce remained silent, although the death glares they exchanged occasionally were enough to raise the temperature in the room several degrees. I smiled when I saw Royce shift himself uncomfortably in his seat at one point.

_It must be difficult to sit properly with your balls cut off._ I held back a snort of laughter.

"As to the terms of the confidentiality settlement," Mr. Jenks said at last, and I sat up and began to pay attention. "I believe we have fulfilled our end of the agreement; none of the particulars of the night in question have been made public, and Misses Hale and Swan have lived and acted in accordance with the terms previously set forth. We have made arrangements with an offshore bank to accept the funds transfers from the escrow accounts established at our last meeting, so if we could get the paperwork completed at this time, I believe we can all be out of here in time to beat the rush hour." He shuffled several papers in front of him and waited.

Silence. Rose and I glanced at each other.

"I'm afraid we do not quite agree that the terms of the settlement have been met." Aro Volturi reached out and dropped an expandable file onto the table. "We have evidence that both Ms. Hale and Ms. Swan have engaged in inappropriate and damaging public behavior that reflects negatively on our client and King Financial and that they have violated the terms of the agreement requiring them not to disclose the events of the night in question to any outside party."

Mr. Jenks reached for the file. Rose and I leaned over his shoulder as he opened it and began to flip through the contents—a stack of full-color 8x10 photographs. The first few were of nothing significant: me at the grocery store, Rosalie at the mall, both of us walking into and out of Denali and various motels. Then the pictures became more personal. Rose, Emmett, me, and Edward at the diner. Edward offering me his pancakes. Edward grasping my arm outside the diner; the look on my face of terror and anger making the moment seem more aggressive than it was. Rose and Emmett entering the motel together. Edward and me at dinner, including several shots of us feeding each other cheesecake and making out in the booth. A shot of me pulling away from Edward outside the apartment that night, again looking terrified.

There were several shots of Edward being handcuffed and put into a police cruiser; I assumed this was his DUI stop from the same night, since he was wearing the same suit. There were photographs of Rose and Emmett _in flagrante delicto_ in public places, including her car, his Jeep, and several other locations I couldn't identify. I glanced at her as these pictures flipped past. She looked smug, although her eyes betrayed concern.

Halfway through the stack there was a series of photos of Rose and I making out in Denali on a number of different nights, as well as numerous shots of us dancing with various partners and in intimate positions. There was even a photograph of me dancing with Edward the first night we met; I was clearly drunk and grinding up on him as close as possible. There were photos from the night Edward interrupted Rose and me as well.

The next series of photos were clearly taken with a long lens, as they showed us in the Cullens' yard with Jasper, Alice, Esme, and Carlisle, including a shot of Emmett mooning us. Those were followed by pictures of our night out with Jasper and Alice—grainy prints of Edward and me making out in the hallway by the restrooms; unflattering shots of me, Rose, and Alice bending over the pool tables provocatively; and a large collection of the paparazzi shots from the back alley, obviously purchased direct from the photographers.

The final batch of pictures began with a shot of Emmett breaking down our apartment door. The shots after this showed Edward and Emmett installing the new lock and coming and going from the apartment with tight, nervous looks on their faces. The shots of me almost always included one of the guys as well, obviously taken during my "chaperoned" weeks. As Mr. Jenks flipped to the end, Rose looked up at Royce and spoke to him directly for the first time.

"You fucking prick." Her voice was steel. "None of these pictures has anything to do with you or your precious bank. This is our lives here."

Victoria Laurent answered. "Your conduct, Ms. Hale, especially your and Ms. Swan's sexual conduct in public arenas reflects poorly on the image of King Financial. Part of your agreement was that you would do nothing to impugn the reputation of the bank during the period before your divorce and financial settlements were finalized." She threw down a copy of the local newspaper. Rose's photos from the paparazzi were visible, along with her name. "As a recognizable member of Phoenix society, Ms. Hale, it was incumbent upon you to act with propriety and decorum, which you have failed to do on repeated occasions."

Marcus Demetri spoke up then as he tossed another folder onto the table. "In addition, it has come to our attention that Misters Emmett Cullen and Edward Masen, whom you see in those photographs and whom we have determined to be your respective sexual partners, have launched private inquiries into the activities and financial dealings of both Royce King and James Victor through several security firms. This proves that you have not only violated the public-appearance terms of your settlement but also the confidentiality cause pertaining to the events of last year."

"What?" Rose shouted, turning to look at me. "They did what?"

Mr. Jenks looked at Royce and his cronies. "Please excuse us, I need a moment with my clients. Miss Stanley will be in momentarily to offer you refreshments." We stood, and he led us out to the lobby and into his private office. Before we could say a word in our own defense, he spoke.

"Ladies, I have to be honest. Your settlement is in very grave danger."

* * *

**I'm going to admit the obvious: I am not a lawyer. All I know about the law comes from Google and TV crime shows. So please suspend your disbelief with me. :)**

**Story Notes:**

**Although _Near Dong_ is my own creation, the other two porn movies are apparently real. **

**_Boogie Nights_ was released in 1997 and starred Mark Wahlberg as a porn actor with a ginormous...talent. **


	17. Chapter 17: The Hangover

**Chapter 17: The Hangover**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

Rose and I looked at each other, then back at Mr. Jenks.

"What are you talking about?" Rose demanded. "All he proved is that we have lives of our own now. There's no evidence that we violated the agreement. So what if our boyfriends are asking questions? It's not like I've hidden who my ex-husband is from my boyfriend. If he decided to do some digging on his own, that doesn't mean he knows the truth."

"And what about James Victor?" he asked.

I had to think fast. "I had a nightmare one night when Edward was with me. I must have yelled out James's name. Edward asked me about it, and I told him I used to work for a man by that name. Again, no harm, no foul." It wasn't a complete lie. Just a minor fabrication and creative interpretation of the truth. "Emmett and Edward are brothers. Perhaps they got to talking and decided to find a few things out for themselves. We weren't aware of their activities, so how can we be to blame for them?"

Okay, that one was a lie. I did know about the research. But I wasn't about to let them beat us.

Jenks shook his head. "I'm not certain that's enough. What about your behavior?"

"What about it?" spat Rose. "We're single women out having fun. We didn't act any better or worse than anyone else. We've both established new relationships, and we are pursuing those relationships like any other individuals. I guarantee you Royce hasn't been celibate for the past 12 months either, testicles or no testicles."

"Aside from the pictures with Jasper Whitlock, none of those photographs were made public," I interjected. "The only person taking our photographs and paying any attention at all to our behavior was whomever Royce hired to follow us. The only way our 'behavior' would be detrimental to anyone is if _they_ released those photos to the media!"

There was a sudden knock on the door, and Miss Stanley, the secretary, poked her head in.

"Mr. Jenks, there's a messenger here with an urgent package. He says he was instructed to tell you that it relates to Ms. Hale and Ms. Swan."

Jenks waved her forward. "Bring it in, Jessica." As she handed over the envelope, he gestured to us to sit, then did the same himself behind his desk. We took our seats and looked at each other again, this time with questions in our eyes. _What else was going to go wrong today?_ We waited impatiently while he opened the package and began paging through the contents.

"Hmmm," he mumbled several times. I wanted to leap across his desk and shake him. The expression on Rosalie's face told me she was becoming equally aggravated. At last he looked up. Then he smiled.

"I take back what I said, ladies. We are going to be all right." He handed over a folder. In it there were several financial documents and a stack of 8X10 photos not unlike those we'd been subjected to a few minutes earlier. Except these were not of us. They showed Royce in various places with various women, including several that rivaled us for _compromising positions._ But the most shocking were toward the end of the pile. They showed Royce and James meeting in what looked like the desert, possibly Mexico. Royce was handing something over to James. Money, no doubt. I shuddered at seeing James again. The pictures were date and time stamped, so it was clear these meetings had occurred well after their assault on us and James's flight.

Rose looked up. "Who sent this?"

"There's no signature here," Jenks answered. "But the financial documents there show large cash withdrawals from several of King's personal accounts on or about the same dates as those pictures, so we can assume he's passing money. That is James Victor, correct?" We nodded. "Then King has been meeting with a known fugitive and apparently offering assistance, which makes him an accessory after the fact if nothing else. I don't know if the charges would stick, but it's no less damaging to him—in fact, it's far more damaging from a public perception standpoint—than what they're challenging you two with. Whoever sent these obviously wants to see you come out on top."

He stood and reached for the folder before walking toward the door. "I'll just go and have Miss Stanley make some quick photocopies and scans of these, and then we'll reconvene with our guests in the conference room. Would you care for anything?" We shook our heads. "Fine, then. When everything's in order I'll be back in to get you. Please make yourselves comfortable." The door clicked softly closed behind him.

"Emmett and Edward," I breathed.

Rose nodded. "Has to be. Who else knows about all this and wants us to win?"

"But how could they have gotten such detailed information?" I wondered. "I mean, they didn't find out about all this until well after those photos were taken. So who took them then, and how did the guys get hold of them?" It seemed too incredible.

"Bells, did you know they were digging shit up? You didn't seem as surprised to hear it in there as I was."

I nodded, avoiding her eye. "Yeah, I knew. Edward let it slip. I told him they had to stop, that they were risking everything and might make things worse with James. I said if they continued, they might get hurt, or get us hurt in the process. He said no."

"What?"

"Yeah, he said he and Emmett weren't going to stop looking for James and learning as much as they could about him and Royce. He had some 'vengeance is mine' idea in his head, I think. They have some grand notion of protecting us by bringing down our 'enemies' and defending our honor."

"Please, haven't they figured out we can take care of our own damn selves?" Rose stood and paced around the room. "And you!" she yelled, pointing at me. "You should have told me instead of letting me get blindsided by Royce and his goons!"

"I know, Rose. But eventually I thought I'd talked Edward out of it. I thought I'd convinced him that they were being ridiculous and putting us all in danger. I never thought they'd continue, and I certainly wouldn't have expected them to turn everything over here and now. It still seems a little too good to be true, don't you think?"

"Well, if it saves our asses, I don't give a fuck. But don't ever lie to me or keep shit like that from me again, Bella. I need to know I can trust _you,_ if no one else."

"I promise. And I'm sorry."

At that moment, Jenks returned. "We're all set, ladies. Let's go kick some ass."

Rose and I held hands as we walked out of the office and across to the conference room.

"Nobody messes with us," Rose said quietly.

"Nobody," I answered.

Jenks opened the door and held it for us. We walked through, heads held high, and took our seats. Royce and the lawyers stared at us, then glanced at each other.

It was our turn.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Does anyone really comprehend how much money fifty million dollars is? As we left the office, Rose and I were happy with our win but relatively subdued as the impact of that much wealth began to sink in. On the drive home we talked about the next steps we'd have to take. We would have to call our financial advisors—well, Rose's financial advisor, because I didn't actually have one—and figure out exactly how to handle that kind of money. Rose was already planning to sell off one or two of the properties she'd gotten in the divorce.

"I hate skiing," she said, "so the house in Vail can go. We can always rent a cottage in Aspen if we're ever inclined to freeze our asses off. And the house in London too; the one in Paris is close enough and I'm not the biggest fan of London anyway. It's always so cold and rainy there."

I chuckled. "Ah, the trifling concerns of the upper classes," I teased.

"Get used to it, Swan," she retorted. "You're one of us now, Miss Multimillionaire."

_Gulp. Holy shit. _

"I wish I had a picture of Royce's face when Mr. Jenks showed him those photos," Rose mused. "I would frame that sucker. Or throw darts at it. Either way, it was priceless."

Mr. Jenks had wasted no time in sharing our new information with the Royce King goon squad. Royce's face had turned an amusing shade of violet and I worried (or rather, hoped) for a moment that his head might explode. Our last-minute rally balanced out their attempt at a Hail Mary, and we were back to the original terms of the agreement and signing the papers very shortly thereafter. As soon as the details were complete, Royce stood and stormed from the room without a word, his lawyers trailing behind him. Rose and I, on the other hand, had hugged and cried and shook hands with Mr. Jenks repeatedly before pulling him into a group hug. We'd then hugged Miss Stanley when she'd come in with champagne for us, and we'd toasted one another in celebration of our win. Mr. Jenks went over a few final details regarding our funds transfers and such, and then it was over.

"I suppose we owe the boys steaks and blowjobs for the foreseeable future," I joked.

"Fuck that, we'll hire someone to take care of them for us!" Rose laughed. "We're free Bella! It's all over, and we can finally get on with our lives in the manner to which I am accustomed and you will soon learn to love!"

We arrived home and flew up to the apartment, eager to share our news with the guys. They were waiting in the living room, and we greeted them another round of hugs and cheers (as well as some deep kissing action) as well as popping corks from a few additional bottles of champagne we'd picked up on the way home. Emmett poured us each a glass and raised his above his head.

"To the most beautiful girls in the world and their new lives ahead!" he boomed, and we laughed and clinked our glasses before swallowing the contents in a gulp. Rose poured us fresh glasses.

"To freedom from sackless, worthless husbands and plentiful orgasms in the future!" she toasted, and we laughed and drank again. This time, Edward poured.

"To high treason!" he cheered. Rose and Emmett stared at him, holding their glasses in mid-air. I snorted my champagne.

"You're such an idiot," I told him as I shook my head and giggled. Then I explained to the others: "It's a quote from _National Treasure._" They raised their eyebrows at Edward for a moment, then Emmett punched him in the arm and we were laughing again. I poured the next round and raised my glass.

"To the wolf pack!"

This time they all got the reference.

"To strippers and cocaine!" Emmett countered.

"I LOVE _The Hangover_!" Rose squealed.

The bottle of champagne disappeared quickly amid toasts and laughter. We were too busy celebrating to get into any specifics about the day, and not long thereafter we paired off and disappeared to our rooms for some _private_ celebrating. By the time we all resurfaced from an afternoon of bubbly-fueled sexual Olympics, it was getting late and we mutually agreed that showers and food were necessities. The guys each showered first because they refused to be left with no hot water after Rose and I took our "long girly showers." I followed, and Rose, who always took the longest, went last.

"I have an amazing idea!" she said as she came out of the bathroom finally, towel-drying her hair. The boys were standing around the kitchen drinking beers while I nursed a bottle of water.

"Oh boy," I groaned in mock fear.

"Shut it," she chuckled, snapping the towel at me. "No, seriously, why don't we get Alice and Jasper, and maybe your folks…" She gestured to the guys. "And go get an amazing dinner somewhere. Then we can all go to Denali! We'll tell everyone we're celebrating my divorce. I've always wanted to rent out that upstairs balcony room they have at the club, with the big sofas and the private dance floor, and now we can! It'll be perfect. Even Jasper will be safe up there, it's totally private!"

"Do you think it's available this late, Rose?" I asked. That balcony room was sure to have some dark corners I could drag Edward off into. My inner sex goddess smirked at the thought.

"Can't hurt to try, can it? You know how Denali is, Bells, that area's usually just empty. They'll probably be glad to see it get some use!" She turned to the boys. "What do you guys think?"

"Fine with me," Edward shrugged. "It's your party. I don't know if Mom and Dad will do Denali, but they might be up for dinner if they haven't eaten yet."

"What about you, baby?" Rose asked Emmett. "Any objections?"

"Are you gonna wear something skimpy?" He wriggled his eyebrows suggestively at her.

"Do I have anything that isn't?" she countered, leaning into him.

"Well, then, as long as we can get Jasper in and out quietly, I'm all for it. But only if you promise to dance your pretty ass up close to me," he growled in her ear, not quietly enough. Edward and I groaned together.

"Don't act like you two haven't thought the same damn thing," Rose said as she pulled herself away from Emmett and reached for her phone. "I'll call Denali and make the arrangements, then I'll call Alice, she'll get everyone there coordinated in a hurry."

"No doubt," Edward chuckled. Rose ignored him and went on.

"Bella, I want you in my room stat so we can figure out dinner and what to wear. You two—" she pointed at the guys again. "Dress up a bit, will you? We wanna look like millionaires tonight!" She breezed past all of us, dragging me in her wake.

"Mistress Rosalie has spoken!" I called behind me as we disappeared into her room.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

We'd settled on dinner at an exclusive restaurant inside the Biltmore hotel in Phoenix, a beautiful, sprawling resort built in 1929 and designed by Frank Lloyd Wright himself. The restaurant had been fully booked, but with Alice's help and a bit of name dropping they were able to fit us in for dinner at 9.

"That's the perk of having a famous designer and a movie star among your friends!" Rose said happily as she put down her phone and flitted over to where I was waiting. She'd already made the arrangements at Denali and called for a car to pick us all up and chauffer us around all night. My natural tendency toward frugality rebelled and my brain kept trying to tally up the cost of the night, but I did my best to stifle it by—_what else?_—drinking more champagne. Now that she'd arranged the evening to her satisfaction, she turned her attention to me.

"I think we should leave your hair down tonight, but maybe sweep the sides back into some pretty twists?" She ran her hands through my hair, pulling sections this way and that, trying to decide. I continued sipping my drink. I'd already tried to battle with her over what I would wear, but she had argued me into submission, and I had surrendered myself over to her wishes. After all, there was a good chance we wouldn't be living together for much longer, now that we could afford places of our own. I could let Rose have one more night of bossing me around, if it made her happy. Right?

_Oh, who am I kidding? Rose will always boss me around, regardless of our living situation. It's part of who we are. _

When she'd finished twirling and curling my hair, she got started on my face.

"Pretty soon we can hire people to come do our hair and makeup for nights out," she gushed as she dusted powder onto my cheeks. "Won't that be amazing?"

"I already have someone to do that," I laughed. "And she works for free!"

She stuck her tongue out at me. "Be nice to me, Bella, or I'll make you up like Queen Nefertiti!"

"My lips are sealed," I said quickly, pursing them tightly. "Actually, I think they're glued together. How much gloss have you put on me?"

She shot me a pointed glare and I was again silent.

The car arrived just as we were putting the finishing touches on.

"You girls comin' outta there tonight?" Emmett bellowed. "Rosie Tits, come on!"

_Oh no he didn't._ Emmett's nicknames were bad enough alone. Together…they were trouble. A scuffle and a few muffled curses told us Edward hadn't appreciated the combination either. We walked out to the living room to find them tussling.

"Emmett, get off of Edward's back this instant, you'll wrinkle your shirt." He climbed down and Rose walked up to him, straightening his clothes. "I refuse to be seen with either of you if you're going to act like adolescents." Then she grabbed Emmett by the chin and held his face to in front of hers. "As for you, Mr. Cullen, you will never address my girl and me by that combination again unless you are prepared to service _yourself_ for the foreseeable future. Got me?" Emmett's eyes bulged and he nodded as emphatically as he could while still in Rose's grip. She smiled at him then and kissed him before turning to Edward.

"Thank you for defending our honor, Mr. Masen. At least _one of you_ has some respect for women." She glared at Emmett again. "Are we ready?" She took Emmett's arm and steered him toward the door. I approached Edward, finally, smiling at Rose's little show.

"You look incredible, Bella," Edward said quietly, leaning in to kiss my cheek. "May I, as the only man here with respect for women, offer you my arm and escort you to your vehicle?" He was grinning as he extended his elbow toward me.

"You may," I answered, nodding formally and taking his arm. "Thank you."

Our driver, Quil, was young and nearly equal to Emmett in size. After opening the door and helping Rose and I into the enormous black SUV, he drove us to Esme and Carlisle's house to collect the rest of our group.

"So you girls never did tell us how things went down today," Edward said after we'd been driving for a few minutes. "What happened?"

"It was fine," I answered, mindful of Quil sitting in earshot. "It was weird seeing _him_ again, but I didn't let it get to me. Even when they tried their last-minute bullshit power play."

"What power play?" Emmett piped up.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. I owe you both a slap upside the head," Rose answered, smacking Emmett. "Apparently you two have been asking around about _certain people_ you shouldn't be. It nearly cost us everything, you dipshits."

Edward looked at me, horrified. "They knew?"

I nodded. "Plus they had pictures of us. All four of us. Mostly me and Rose, but some of you and me, and some of Rose and Emmett together. Let's just say not all of them were suitable for public viewing."

"Remember that night in my car, baby?" Rose asked Emmett. His eyes widened.

"No shit? They took pictures of that? Damn." He paused, then grinned. "Did you get copies?"

Rose smacked him again.

"They also had a bunch of the paparazzi pics and the fangirl cellphone pics from that night at the bar with Jasper and Alice," I went on. "They tried to make us out to be irresponsible whores, basically. And they said that because you two were asking questions, that was proof that we'd broken the agreement."

"Shit," Edward breathed. "I'm sorry, babe."

"Yeah well, we got a little last-minute help," Rose grinned. "A 'mystery' package arrived just in time to for us to stick another knife in that bastard's groin." She laughed and kissed Emmett hard, which effectively silenced them both for the moment.

"Mystery package?" Edward asked me quietly. The car pulled into the Cullens' drive, and I could see Alice bouncing toward us, dragging Jasper in her wake. Esme and Carlisle followed, smiling. Quil hopped out to open the door for them.

"Like you don't know," I teased. "Don't worry, I'll show you my appreciation later, I promise." I kissed him and shifted closer as Alice practically leapt into the seat beside us. Jasper slid into the backseat, next to Emmett, who finally came up for air to wish everyone a hello.

"Evenin' all," he smiled. "Congrats on the divorce, Rose. I'm assuming by the elaborate celebration we're having this evening, that this is a good thing?"

"It's a _very_ good thing," Rose replied as Esme and Carlisle took their seats near the front. "All of you just sit back and relax, this night is about having fun, enjoying freedom, and spending my newly-gotten gains! Everything's on me, so don't hesitate to order what you want, drink as much as you can stand—or until you fall down, if that's your pleasure—and just have a great time!"

"Hear hear!" I cheered.

This was the beginning of the rest of my life, and I was ready to ring it in with every penny we could spend. We had fifty million dollars. How much could one night on the town really cost us?

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Dinner was a loud, somewhat raunchy affair, despite the high-class setting. We were ushered in and fawned over courtesy of Jasper and Alice's combined celebrity power, which was very nice but also a bit awkward; I could see heads turning and necks craning around the restaurant as we walked in and were seated. There would be no way to maintain a low profile here. We could only hope that since most of the people around us appeared to be more Carlisle and Esme's age, we would be spared another Twitter broadcast.

Rosalie was determined to spend as much money as possible, so there was plenty more champagne poured, and the food was exquisite. As a day's worth of celebrating began to settle in on my head, I switched to ice water and watched the rest of our group talking and laughing with each other. Edward kept his arm around my shoulders for most of the evening, his fingers tracing soft circles on my skin. I wanted nothing more than to make Quil drive us home so I could have Edward all to myself again, but I did my best to smile and pay attention to the conversation, even when Edward leaned over and nuzzled against my neck. He was drunk as well, judging by the dopey smile on his face. Emmett was getting progressively louder and Rose more blatantly sexual, and Alice and Esme were kicking back their drinks as though trying to catch up with the rest of us as quickly as possible. Only Carlisle seemed to keep his wits about him, sitting back and watching the rest of us with a sort of amused patience. When he saw me watching him, we exchanged smiles.

After dinner we piled back into the car. Esme and Carlisle asked us to drop them off at their house, which I suspected was Carlisle's idea, judging by the disappointed look on Esme's face.

"But Carlisle—" she started to argue.

"The kids don't want us old folks crashing their good time, Es," he soothed. Then he grinned. "Besides, I wanna get you upstairs and have my way with you while we've got the place to ourselves."

Esme barreled out of her seat as Edward, Emmett, and Jasper covered their ears and grimaced. Alice, Rose, and I giggled.

"Go get 'em Esme!" Rose shouted as they disappeared into the house. The guys groaned.

It was nearing midnight as we got to Denali, and the club was likely to be crowded, so we had Quil pull the car around to the back. Rosalie had called ahead to warn them of our arrival, and Ben was waiting at the back door. As we climbed out, Emmett stayed behind a moment; he gave Quil his cellphone number and tipped him extra to wait with the car and to keep an eye out for any sign of paparazzi or fangirls. Then we surrounded Jasper and Alice and followed Ben through the back door and up a private set of stairs to the balcony. The music was pounding, and looking out over the railing I saw that the club was, in fact, pretty full for a weeknight.

"This is more like it!" Rose yelled over the music, gesturing to the furniture as she sat down in a comfortable looking armchair. There were several similar chairs, a chaise, and a few loveseats as well as a few tables scattered about. The private dance floor was behind the seating area, which overlooked the main floor. A waitress arrived and took our drink orders. Rose, Alice, and I got up to dance; it was wonderfully freeing to be able to enjoy the lights and music and club atmosphere without the usual interruptions and random gropings. Of course, we weren't grope-free for very long; Emmett appeared behind Rosalie after about two songs, grinding into her enthusiastically. They moved away from us shortly after. Just as Alice and Jasper disappeared into a dark corner I felt Edward's arms slide around my waist and his body press against my back.

"Well hello there," I purred over my shoulder. "Better watch out where you put those hands, sir, because my boyfriend is likely to get very jealous."

He tightened his hold on me, and his fingers grazed my breasts lightly, making my nipples instantly harden. I felt his lips on my shoulder. Then they moved up toward my ear, and I felt his hot breath against my neck. Slowly we began half-dancing, half-walking into the shadows, away from the others.

"Is that right?" he growled. "Tell me, does your boyfriend touch you like this?" His fingers slid across me again, then cupped my breasts and held them, his thumbs toying with my nipples through the thin fabric of my dress. I moaned and leaned back against him.

"Yes," I answered, dragging out the word in response to his question as well as the sensation. He began kissing and sucking at my neck, teasing the spot below my ear. I moved slowly in time with the music, enjoying the feel of his hands on breasts, his body against mine, and his obvious arousal now making itself known in the small of my back.

"Hmmmm," he hummed between kisses. His fingers suddenly released me, then I felt one hand slide inside the low neckline of my dress and into my bra. His touch was cool against my heated skin. "Does he touch you like this?"

"Oh God…yes," I moaned. I started writhing back against his thigh, desperate for friction. I reached one arm up above my head and around his neck, pulling his lips back to my shoulder and giving his fingers better access. My other hand dropped behind me, and I wrapped my fingers around the prominent bulge in his pants, moving it up and down in time with the movement of my ass against him. He growled incoherently and spun me around to face him. One hand gripped my hair and pulled my face to his, and his mouth crashed down on me hard and insistent. I gasped at his fervor and as my lips parted his tongue touched mine.

Lost in the blazing need he exuded around us, I jumped when I felt his other hand on my inner thigh, sliding up below my skirt. With my lips and tongue occupied I could only lift my leg and wrap it around him, opening myself up and begging for his touch with my body instead of my words. My hands were tangled in his hair, simultaneously pulling and pushing him in my insane need to get closer. When his hand finally made contact with my wet, aching center, my knee wobbled and I fell into him. His lips broke contact with mine and began to devour my jaw and neck. His fingers toyed with me, sliding beneath the scrap of lace Rose had put me in (thank God) and exploring the depths of my arousal. I gasped and moaned and moved toward him in search of more.

"Does your boyfriend touch you like this, Bella?" Edward gasped between kisses. His thumb pressed hard on my clit as two fingers pressed inside me. My eyes rolled into my head and my arms tightened around him, needing both to feel him close and to shield us from anyone who might see.

"No one can see me touching you like this," he growled in my ear. "You're all mine."

"All…yours…Edward," I managed to say.

"Do you like this, Bella? Do you like to feel me inside you, touching you, where anyone could see?" His hand moved faster inside me and it was all I could do to stay upright.

"Please, Edward," was all I could get out. "Please."

"Look at me," he commanded. "Open your eyes." I did as instructed, and I was made even more breathless by the expression in his face, the barely-contained passion behind his eyes, the sharp, determined set of his jaw.

"Answer me," he ordered. Fucking hell, this Domward was making me crazy.

"Yes, I like it," I answered, holding his gaze with the same intensity. "Touch me, Edward. Please."

He gripped my thighs and lifted me further into the darkness until we hit a wall. I could feel the pounding vibrations of the music in my spine as Edward's fingers sped up and increased their pressure on me. I teetered on the edge of my climax, my thighs trembling, all concern about being discovered completely forgotten.

"Fuck, Edward," I breathed. "Oh fuck I want you…"

"When we get home I'm going to bend you over every chair in the apartment and fuck you hard, over and over again." He punctuated his words with deep thrusts of his fingers inside me. I cried out in response. "I want to bury my cock in you forever Bella. I want to feel you tighten around my cock like you are right now around my fingers. I want to hear you scream my name as you come."

His words sent me over the edge and I granted his wish, shouting his name at the top of my lungs as my body convulsed around him. My cries were lost in the music, but Edward's face burst into a mixture of pure lust and triumphant victory. As I came down from my orgasm he released me and helped me stand upright, no small feat given the wobbly state of my legs. I leaned against his chest, feeling his heart pounding and marveling at the amazing turn of my life. I'd gone from frightened girl in the closet to wanton exhibitionist in a few short months, all because of the man holding me in his arms. His love was a true gift, and his body was nothing short of a miracle.

"That was fucking amazing, Bella," he said, his chin on my head and his mouth in my hair.

"What can I say? I have a bod for sin," I smirked. He laughed.

"_Working Girl!_ Melanie Griffith in her best years." He stepped back. I lifted my head and stared at him as he gave me a once-over. "You're the one with sex hair now, Ms. Swan," he grinned. My hands flew to my hair and I tried to smooth it down. I realized my skirt was still bunched around my hips as well, and my ladywear was twisted in a very awkward way between my legs.

"Hmmm, I think I may need a trip to the ladies room," I giggled, trying to make myself presentable enough to venture down the stairs. We made our way back to the seating area, where we found Alice on Jasper's lap in an armchair and Rose and Emmett bumping and grinding on the dance floor again. Alice grinned at me with a knowing look in her eyes, and Jasper lifted his mouth in a crooked smile.

"There you two are!" Rose called out. "Having fun, are you?" She laughed and dragged Emmett back to the chairs. "Bells, you look like you could use a shot. How about it?"

"I was just gonna head downstairs to the ladies room real quick," I explained. Alice hopped up off Jasper's lap.

"Rose and I will come with you, won't we Rose?" She winked at us.

"Abso-fucking-lutely!" Rose answered. "Come on, we'll have a round of shots while we're down there." She looked at the guys. "You boys stay here and be good, now!" she laughed before planting a hot and heavy kiss on Emmett. Alice grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the stairs, bounding down them like her stilettos were made of flubber.

"Careful Alice!" I warned. "I'm clumsy on a stone-sober day, and you do NOT want me bowling us both down these stairs!"

"That's the truth!" Rose called from behind us.

The girls insisted on doing a round of shots before anything else. We waited at the bar while Eric attended to some other customers.

"Rose, Bella, how are you tonight?" he called out when he saw us. "What'll it be?"

"Three shots of Patron, Eric!" Rose shouted back. "This here is Alice, by the way."

Eric waved hello, then turned to another bartender a few feet from us. "Yo! Get me three Patron shots, will you?" The other bartender nodded without turning. Eric shrugged. "New guy," he mouthed, rolling his eyes.

At that moment, we heard a squeal from behind us.

"Oh my God, are you Alice Brandon?" We turned to find a gaggle of college-age girls, eyes wide and cellphones in hand.

_Fuck._

Alice smiled in a friendly way and nodded, lifting her finger to her lips. They all nodded in understanding. "I'm here tonight with some of my girls," she explained, gesturing to us. "If you guys don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't, you know, post it on Twitter or anything."

A few girls' heads lifted at that and they closed or pocketed their phones. One girl toward the front smiled and asked if they could get a few pictures with Alice, and she obliged them. Rosalie, meanwhile, texted Emmett upstairs to warn them about the fangirls. While all that was going on, our drinks appeared on the bar. Alice finished up with the fans, and we did the shots as quickly as we could, anxious now to get to the ladies room and get back upstairs to the guys before anyone figured out Jasper was with us. We hurried through fixing our hair and makeup rather than dishing dirt as we'd originally planned, and then we collected our things and made our way back toward the stairs. I'd made it about a third of the way up the steps before my head began to swim.

"Are you okay, Bella?" Rose asked. "You don't look good."

"I'm fine," I answered. "I think my drink just hit me, that's all. You and Alice go on back upstairs, I just wanna step outside and get some air for a second."

"Are you sure? I don't want you going out there alone."

"I'll go stand with Ben at the front doors, Rose. Don't worry. Tell Edward I'll be back in a minute. I've got my phone if anything happens." I waved my BlackBerry at her. "If you guys need to bolt, just text me."

"Okay, I guess." Rose was unsure, but she was also eager to get back to Emmett. "Just don't wander off anywhere, Bells!"

"I'll be fine, Rose," I grinned. "After all, you're not my mother!"

She laughed and nodded, heading up the stairs after Alice. I made my way back down, noticing that with each step my head seemed to get foggier. The faces of the people I passed seemed to jump out at me in weird ways, and the music echoed in my head. I had definitely had too much to drink. I started crossing the dance floor toward the doors, but then my head swam again and I became disoriented. Where was I going? I had a sudden desire to sit down right where I was and not move. My stomach lurched, and instead of heading to the doors I made my way back to the ladies room, stumbling into a stall just in time. I heaved and heaved, emptying my stomach, but my head continued to spin. I'd never been this messed up from alcohol before. It had to be the champagne, I reasoned; I wasn't used to it and I'd had a lot more than my share tonight.

Finally, I felt well enough to stand. I splashed water on my face to try to get my bearings. Still unable to walk or think very clearly, I made my way back to the bar. Eric was too far away to see me, but the new bartender was ringing up a tab nearby.

"Can I get some water, please?" I called out, resting my head on the bar. I had to make the world stop spinning or I would be back in the bathroom any second. A tall glass of water appeared in front of me, and I gulped it down. Still my head swam. One thought came to mind: I needed Edward. It was time to go. I stood upright again and wobbled away from the bar, headed for the private staircase we'd used when we came in. I didn't want to risk falling down the main stairs and making a scene, plus the rear stairs were closer to the bar anyway. I stumbled to the dark alcove that led to the back door and slid along the wall for support, making my way slowly over to the steps.

I had barely reached the banister when I was suddenly lurched backward, and something clamped down over my mouth.

"Hello, Isabella," a voice breathed into my ear. "It's so nice to see you again."

_Recognition. Horror. Fear. _

I passed out.

* * *

**As Bette Davis said in_ All About Eve:_ "Buckle your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night!"**

**QUICK PSA: Please, watch your drinks when you're out at a bar. You can really never be sure your drink is safe if you've turned your back on it for even a second. I know this from personal experience. I was fortunate enough not to have anything worse happen to me than a bad hangover, but there are scary people out there who will take advantage of even the slightest lapse in attention. **

**Thanks for reading. Reviews tell me you love me—even short reviews! **

**Story Notes:**

_**The Hangover**_** is a raunchy comedy released in 2009 about four friends road tripping to Las Vegas for a bachelor party. Their drinks get drugged, and all sorts of mayhem ensues. **

_**National Treasure**_** was released in 2004 and stars Nicolas Cage as a treasure "protector" trying to locate an historic treasure before it can be found and ransacked by black-market profiteers. **

_**Working Girl**_** stars Melanie Griffith, Harrison Ford, and Sigourney Weaver and was released in 1988.**

**The term "flubber" comes from **_**The Absent-Minded Professor,**_** a Disney film released in 1961 starring Fred MacMurray (remade in 1997 under the title **_**Flubber**_** and starring Robin Williams). It is a material that causes things to bounce high and fast—hence the description of Alice's bouncing during the scene in Denali.**


	18. Chapter 18: Misery

**Chapter 18: Misery**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**WARNING: This story is going to take a dark and scary road for the next two chapters.**** Please read with caution. **

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* * *

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**EPOV**

"Where's Bella?"

Rose pointed with her thumb over her shoulder. "She went to get some air, that lightweight! One shot and she's already swirly." She laughed. "Don't worry Edward, she said she'd stay near Ben at the front doors, he won't let anything happen to her."

I frowned and nodded. She sat down in Emmett's lap and he immediately engaged her full attention. Alice and Jasper were similarly occupied. I stood and walked to the railing, looking for Bella, but I could barely make out any of the faces below. Minutes ticked by and she didn't return. I checked my phone just as the DJ announced last call; it was past 1:30 and I knew the house lights would be coming up soon. If she hadn't come back by then, I'd go and look for her. I knew she wouldn't want me to hover or fuss over her, she'd made that abundantly clear.

"Edward, man, stop worrying. She'll be back any second," Emmett shouted. "Sit down and finish your drink!"

I sat and tried to be patient, but I couldn't stay still. "She's been gone too long, I'm just gonna go take a look and see if she's all right," I told them as I rose from the chair, downing the last swallow from my bottle. Just then my phone vibrated with a text.

_Felt sick, didn't want to ruin the night. Caught a cab home. Don't worry. Have fun._

She caught a cab home? We had a perfectly good car and driver out back. Why would she leave without saying something first? Rose noticed the scowl on my face.

"What is it?"

I showed her the text, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Weird. Bella's not usually one to just pick up and go like that." She looked at me. "Do you think she's okay?"

"I don't know, but I need to find out, right now." I raced down the steps and across the dance floor to the front doors. Rose followed, leaving Emmett with Jasper and Alice.

"Ben!" I called. He looked up.

"What's up Rose?" he asked, smiling. "You guys having fun up there tonight?" Then he saw the looks on our faces. "What's going on? Someone bugging you?"

Rose answered first. "Ben, did you see Bella here in the last fifteen minutes or so?"

He shook his head. "Nope. Haven't seen her since you guys went upstairs. She didn't come through here."

"You're sure?" I asked. "She didn't come through and get a cab?"

"I didn't see her," he shrugged. "You could ask Peter down there at the taxi stand, though, if you want to be sure."

"Thanks," Rose told him as we went down to talk to Peter. No single women had gotten into any cabs in the past few minutes, only groups and couples. I was starting to panic. As we headed back into the club, the lights came up and the crowds on the floor began making their way toward the doors.

"I'll check the ladies' room," Rose offered. "Maybe she stopped back in there before leaving and got sick or something."

I nodded. "I'm gonna ask at the bar," I told her. We split up, and I headed over toward where Eric was frantically trying to settle tabs with a crowd of apparently frustrated drunks.

"Yo, man, hurry the fuck up dude!" One guy was hollering. Several girls were rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. It was chaos.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Eric chanted as he collected signed bills and returned cards, rang up tabs, collected empty glasses, and tried to keep everything straight. "I'm sorry!" I waited while he finished up with the last few people. In the meantime, Rose came back.

"She's not in there." Her voice was shaky. "Edward, you don't think—"

"Go get Emmett," I told her. "The bar's nearly cleared out now. It should be safe for Jasper and Alice to come down." She raced off as I caught Eric's eye.

"Bar's closed, man," he told me.

"I know. Listen, you're Eric, right?" He nodded. "You know Bella?" Another nod. "Well she's my girlfriend, and I seem to have lost her in the past half hour or so. Have you seen her?"

"Yeah, she and Rose and some other girl, Alice I think, were here doing shots a while ago. I remember, because I had Eddie pour 'em for them. Fucker." He shook his head. "His ass is fired, that's for damn sure. Leave me hangin' like that."

I waved off his little rant. "So you didn't see Bella at all after the shots?"

He stopped to think. "You know, I think I saw her leanin' on the bar a couple minutes later. She was lookin' a bit worse for wear. Looked like Masen had gotten her a glass of water. Didn't see her after that. Didn't see that fucker the rest of the night either." He shook his head again. "So fired."

My eyeballs clicked as his words registered. "Your other bartender left? Tonight?"

"Sure as fuck did. It was only his second week here. Thought he was finally getting the hang of it. He sucked, but it's hard to keep people here, this place doesn't pay shit."

"Wait, back up." There was something. What was it? "What did you say his name was?"

"Ed. Ed Masen."

_James._

"Edward, what the fuck is goin on?" Emmett came up at a run. "Rose says Bella's missing?"

I was grabbing my hair with both hands, tearing at it, trying to keep the panic at bay. My stomach was knotted, and I could feel a day's worth of alcohol rising. "He's got her, Em. James has got her."

Rose arrived just in time to hear me. "What?" I explained the situation.

"We have to get out of here," I told them. I could barely keep my shit together. "We have to get Jasper and Alice out of here and then we have to find her."

"No. We have to call the police, dude. If that psycho has Bella, she's in danger. We can't do shit about it."

"We can't, Em. Not yet." I shook my head at him as I paced. "We don't know for sure that she hasn't just gone home. We have no proof it's him. She's only been missing for 45 minutes."

"And if this gets out," Rose added, "shit will hit the fan big time. That prick, if he does have her, could freak out." She looked back toward Jasper and Alice, who were watching us curiously from the stairs. "Jasper and Alice would have to give statements. There'd be no way this wouldn't hit national news and gossip sites within seconds. It's too dangerous for Bella." She walked over to the bar. "Eric, your new bartender. Do you have any of his information? Home address maybe? He might know where Bella is or where she went…" She flashed him a million-watt smile. Dazed, he nodded, then pulled out a card from beneath the bar and handed it to her. She glanced at it and gave it back. "Thanks, sweetie." She smiled at him again, but as soon as she turned back to us, her face was serious again.

"Well?" I asked when she returned to Emmett's side. She shook her head.

"Fake," she answered, her voice heavy. "He gave your address. He must have had a fake ID made."

"Musta been a damn good one if he was able to get a bartending license with it. Unless he forged that too," Emmett mused. "Where would he get money for something like that?"

"Probably part of the money Royce gave him in those pictures," Rose answered.

_What?_

"What pictures?" I asked. She huffed in frustration.

"You know which pictures! The ones in the folder! The ones you guys sent to Mr. Jenks today!"

Emmett and I looked at each other. "Rosie," he said. "We didn't send any pictures to anyone."

"Of course you did." She stopped and stared at us both. "Wait. You mean—you really didn't send them? Those pictures saved our asses today. They helped us beat Royce. If that package hadn't come, we—" Realization dawned in her eyes, and her hand flew up over her mouth in horror.

"Would have lost the money," I finished for her. She nodded.

"He must have known. James must have known Royce would try to screw us," she gasped. "He made sure we won, made sure we got the money. And then…" Her eyes met mine, and for the first time since I'd met her, I saw fear in them.

I knew the feeling.

"He took Bella," I finished.

* * *

**BPOV**

I was moving. My head felt like it was underwater. I couldn't focus on any one thing. Streetlights flashed by over my head. I was half laying, half sitting across the backseat of a car, but I didn't recognize it. Where was I? I tried to change position, then I realized my hands wouldn't work properly. I rolled my eyes down to my wrists.

My wrists were taped together. "What the fuck?" I tried to say, but the words came out as mumbles.

My mouth was taped shut. Panic swelled as I lifted my head toward the driver.

"Well hello, Isabella. So glad you decided to wake up and join the party."

_James._

Panic flared and I began to struggle, flailing across the seat. I discovered my ankles were bound as well. I was trapped. Outside the windows I could see only darkness. Wherever we were, we were already beyond the city limits. Tears poured hot from my eyes as I fought in vain to break the tape around my wrists.

"Don't bother," he called across the seat. "I made sure you were wrapped up nice and tight before our little trip. It was so nice of you to lay there, so pretty and quiet, while I tied you up. Do you have any idea how many times I've imagined tying you up, Isabella?"

Horror filled me again. What had he done to me? What was he _going_ to do? I tried to focus. My brain still swirled, and I had a hard time forming a coherent thought. Slowly, I took inventory of my body. My ankles were bound. My wrists hurt now from the friction of trying to free them. My head and stomach ached, but it didn't seem to be the result of any external force or injury. I hesitated, then concentrated all my energy on my midsection. I shifted my thighs and slid my wrists along the edge of my skirt.

My dress, my bra, and my underwear were still in place. I didn't hurt anywhere that couldn't be explained.

He hadn't…hurt me.

Yet, anyway.

I closed my eyes and moaned against the tape on my mouth. My brain felt as though it had swollen inside my skull, and my stomach was burning. I brought my wrists up to my forehead and tried to will the pain away long enough to let me think clearly.

"You know, Isabella, you really need to pay better attention to your drinks when you're in a bar." His voice was teasing in a dark, sadistic kind of way. He had all the power this time, and he knew it. "It was so easy for me to make sure your shot had a little something extra."

He'd drugged me. That explained why I had become so completely drunk all of a sudden, why the floor had tilted in such weird ways and why all my perceptions had been so distorted. Still were, in fact, I realized as a car passed us going the other way and its headlights blinded me.

"I got lucky, you know. I knew Denali was your regular party spot. I hoped you'd come tonight to celebrate, but even if you didn't, I knew you'd be in there soon enough and I would get my chance." He chuckled. "Still, you very nearly messed up my plans. Your body must not like GHB, or you had an awful lot to drink tonight, because when you disappeared in the bathroom I was afraid you'd throw up everything and get your bearings back too quickly." He glanced back toward me. "When you asked me for that water, I knew I had to act soon or I'd lose my chance."

"Fuck you," I tried to say. It came out as "mpf m," but he understood clearly enough.

"Tsk tsk, Isabella, don't be rude, now."

I turned my head, looking away from him and staring out the little bit of window I could see from my awkward position in the seat. It seemed as though the sky was getting lighter now. How long had we been driving?  
Edward would know I was gone by now. He'd be looking for me. I had to stay strong for him and for Rose.

Especially for Rose.

I wondered if they would call the police. My dad was a cop, but Charlie was hundreds of miles away in Forks. How I wished at this moment I was there with him in that little rainy town I hated so much. It was always so green there. Too green.

Green, like Edward's eyes.

Edward, who loved me.

I faded into unconsciousness again.

When I woke again, it was daylight. I recognized the area; we were near the Grand Canyon, of all places.

"She's awake! Feeling better now, Isabella?" He leered over the seat at me. I wanted him to stop saying my name. Every time he said it, my skin crawled. He pulled over, and I started to panic again.

"We're almost there, now, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to hide you. Wouldn't want anyone to notice you back here." He was almost cheerful in the way he said it. He got out and opened the door by my feet. I curled my knees in, preparing to kick him, but he grabbed my ankles.

"Behave yourself now, or I'll have to put you in the trunk," he warned. My eyes widened. I would never survive this if he put me in the trunk; it was all I could do now to keep the panic at bay. I nodded to show him I would behave. "Good girl," he said again. He tossed a blanket into the seat and began spreading it out over me. "Move up a bit, gotta get you covered," he told me. I shifted, and in the corner of my eye I saw a road sign just ahead of us. Jacob Lake, it said. He yanked me back down and covered my head and face then, and everything went dark. I could feel him tucking the blanket in around me, and I breathed in and out through my nose carefully, trying to stay calm. The door thunked closed and I heard him get back into his seat and start the engine again.

"Don't worry, Isabella," he called over the seat. "I will take good care of you. After all, you're worth quite a lot to me." He chuckled, and I realized finally what this was all about.

The money.

I wasn't sure if that comforted me or made things worse.

* * *

**EPOV**

"We have to call the police now. It's been hours."

"No! We can't risk it!"

"But what if we don't, and he hurts her?"

"What if we _do,_ and he hurts her?"

We'd gone around and around the same arguments for hours. It had been hard to keep the truth from Jasper and Alice, but we knew we couldn't involve them in this. We'd dropped them at the house with little explanation, saying only that Bella had gotten ill and we wanted to get home to her as soon as possible to make sure she was all right. They didn't buy it, but we couldn't get into details now. There wasn't time to rehash everything, and it was better that they knew as little as possible in case there were questions later.

Emmett had grilled Quil as soon as they were gone. He hadn't seen much in the alley behind the club; he admitted he'd been talking to his girlfriend on the phone and hadn't really been paying attention except to check periodically for crowds as Emmett had asked. He vaguely remembered someone walking toward the rear parking lot, possibly carrying something, but he couldn't be sure. Since the person had been leaving rather than hanging around, he hadn't thought much of it.

The idea of James carrying Bella had made my chest tear open. Was she hurt? What had he done to her? Where would he go? Emmett and I had found no current address or any indication he was living anywhere in or around Phoenix. I barely made it into the apartment before I fell to the ground. I wanted badly to scream, but when I opened my mouth, nothing came out. I had failed her. My girl was in the hands of her worst nightmare, a man who had tried to do unspeakable things to her, and I had no way to know where they could be or what his intentions ultimately were.

Emmett had had to physically lift me off the floor, finally. As he set me down on the sofa, he leaned in and spoke to me quietly.

"Dude, I know you're hurting. I know you're freaking out. I need you to snap the fuck out of it and help me come up with a plan here. Rose is freaking out, too, and I can't deal with both of you _and_ come up with a plan to find Bella."

For the first time in what felt like hours, I looked at Rosalie. Shame overwhelmed me. She was white as a sheet and her eyes were wild with fear. I'd been so lost in my head and terrified, I had completely forgotten how hard this must be for her.

"I'm sorry, Rose," I told her quietly. Her eyes lifted to meet mine.

"I shouldn't have left her alone, Edward. She was sick, she was dizzy. I should have gone with her." A tear rolled down her cheek. "It's my fault. I wanted the fucking money. I had to have it. She never cared about it, but she went through all this suffering, all this hiding, all for me. Now she's going through hell all over again, and…and it's because of me. Again."

I walked over and bent my knees, squatting before her. "It's not your fault. None of this is or has ever been your fault, or Bella's. It's _their_ fault. Royce and James. _They_ did this."

I knew then what we would have to do next. I stood and looked at Emmett.

"And that means there's still one person who might know something," I told him. I saw him make the connection in his head. He looked down at Rosalie.

"Rosie, I think it's time you introduced us to your ex-husband."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

We decided to confront Royce King at his office, where he was least likely to be surrounded by security and the most likely to be fearful of his precious image. We had to use whatever leverage we could get at this point. The fact that Emmett and I were in on the whole story was now moot, and King knew we were onto him anyway. Relieved to be doing something, anything, the three of us stormed into the bank headquarters the next morning. Rose strode through the lobby with us in tow, ignoring the receptionist and leading us up to the top floor where the executive offices were located.

We stepped off the elevators and started down a long corridor. "That was Bella's office," she gestured as we passed by a particular door, and I couldn't resist looking inside. The current occupant was a short, squat-looking man named Banner, according to his door, but I ignored his questioning look and imagined my Bella sitting there in a sexy suit, her hair twisted up on her head the way she always did when she was busy working. My gut wrenched for her, for all the things she had lost because of the motherfucker we were about to meet and the cocksucker who now held her life in his hands.

"Hello Mrs. Cope," Rose greeted the secretary outside King's office. "Is he in?"

The middle-aged, somewhat frumpy woman gaped at Rosalie in shock. "Mrs. K—Ms. Hale?" She stammered. Then she recovered herself. "He—he's in, yes, but—"

"Thank you!" Rose called, cutting her off as she moved to the doors and opened them without so much as a glance back. We followed her into the office. I closed the doors behind us, right in the shocked face of the secretary, who had risen from her chair in a vain attempt to stop us. Turning around, I laid eyes for the first time on Royce King and my blood began to boil instantly. Emmett's face showed he was seething as well; he stood behind Rosalie, who stared down coldly at the stunned and pale man sitting behind the mammoth desk in front of us.

"Hello Royce." She crossed her arms as he stood, her face icy cold with hate.

"You have ten seconds to leave before I call Security," he warned, reaching for his phone. It was the wrong move. Emmett reached for the phone at the same time and ripped it from the wall.

"This is Emmett," she smirked as she made the introduction. "He and his brother Edward here"—she waved toward me—"have a few questions they'd like to ask you."

"I'm not answering a damned thing. Get the fuck out of my office, you cunt!" he answered. Less than a second later his face had turned a frightening shade of purple from lack of oxygen; Emmett had one of his enormous hands around his throat.

"Do not _ever_ speak to her like that again," Emmett hissed at Royce. "Or I will rip your limbs from your body." He held on for a few more seconds. "Do we understand each other now, asshole?" Royce nodded. Rose's smirk expanded into a grin for a moment, then her face went cold again. Emmett released Royce and he collapsed in a coughing fit.

I walked up to the desk and faced him. "Where is James Victor?" I demanded.

He continued gasping and coughing.

"I…don't…know," he managed to say between fits. Emmett shoved King's head down onto the desk and pinned him there.

"Wrong answer," Rosalie chimed in. I leaned down toward King.

"Let's try this again," I growled at him. "Where is James Victor, and what is he planning to do with Bella?"

"I haven't seen him in months!" Royce yelled. "How the fuck do I know where he is?"

"When did you last see him?" Rose asked. He didn't answer. Emmett grabbed him by the hair and yanked him up so he was facing Rose.

"Answer the question," Emmett ordered, his face inches from King's and his eyes blazing with rage.

"I—I met him in Mexico a few months ago. I gave him money. He was threatening to expose everything and I had to shut him up." He made eye contact with her. "You saw the pictures. That was the last time I saw him."

"Well you did a piss poor job of shutting him up, you sackless piece of shit," Rose snapped at him. "He's taken Bella. Do you know what that means? He wants her, and he wants the money, and if you don't fucking help us now, everything's going to come out."

He looked at me, then at Rose. "I don't know where he is," he said, his voice small and pathetic.

"Don't give me that shit." Rose stepped close to him, the anger and disgust in her face growing exponentially with her increased proximity to him. "Nothing happens that you don't know about. If you don't know it yourself, somebody here does. You will find out, do you hear me? If anything happens to Bella, I will personally make sure you go down with James. Remember, I have the money. I got mine. If it comes out now, _you_ lose, not me."

She scribbled something on a piece of paper.

"This is my cellphone number. You will find out everything you can and call me in an hour, Royce, or so help me God I will turn both these boys loose on your ass and then I'll come back and finish the job I started that night in the library." She turned and walked to the door. "An hour, Royce."

Emmett dropped King back into his chair with an expression of regret. I knew he wanted to make good on all his threats; I wanted nothing more than to help him beat Royce King into a faceless pile of shit. But there wasn't time. We had to find Bella. We followed Rosalie out to the lobby just as a couple of security guards arrived.

"No worries, gentlemen, we were just leaving," Rose called behind her as we passed them. When we got to the car, she paused.

"I wish Bella had been there to see that," she said quietly. Emmett put his arms around her, and she buried her face in his chest.

"We'll find her Rosie," he told her as his eyes met mine. "We'll find her."

* * *

**BPOV**

The car stopped again. I heard James get out and walk around a bit. The trunk opened, and he seemed to be crossing back and forth to it, as though unloading something. I was still bound and covered in the back seat. After several minutes he opened the door near my head, causing me to slump down and half out of the car. The blanket fell from my face, and I was able to see that we were in a wooded area. There were small cabins scattered about, rundown wooden buildings spaced at least a hundred yards apart. None of the other buildings had cars in front, however. The whole place gave a distinct vibe of neglect. James yanked me from the car and carried me over his shoulder into one of the cabins, setting me down in an armchair. He then began unloading what appeared to be supplies in the small kitchen.

"This place isn't exactly a four-star hotel," he said. "But I expect I'll make up for that very soon, what with all the spoils I'll be getting from your ice bitch girlfriend." He leaned over me, leering. He smelled of body odor and sweat, and I pulled away from him the best I could. "Stay put, Isabella," he told me. "I've just gotta go hide the car. Don't want to chance anyone seeing it and getting suspicious." He patted my knee and crossed to the door. "Don't bother trying to get away, either; I'll just find you and drag you back." Then he was gone. I heard the car drive away.

Frantic, I threw myself off the chair and inch-wormed my way to the kitchen in search of a knife, or scissors, or anything I could cut my bindings with. I pushed myself to my knees and dug through the drawers with my fingers. I found an old flyer proclaiming the merits of the Jacob Lake Inn, which I surmised was the name of this place, but there was nothing I could use to get free. Too soon, I heard footsteps behind the cabin. I slid myself back to the floor in front of the chair, but I wasn't able to get back up into it before he opened the door.

"Well, well. I see you listen as well as ever," he said. "Now I'll have to tie you down, Isabella. And I so wanted this to be friendly."

He walked away for a moment out of my sight, then came back with a length of rope. He picked me up and threw me over his shoulder again, carrying me through a doorway into the bedroom and depositing me on the bed. I began to panic. Wide eyed, I shook my head, fighting against the tape on my mouth. _I'll be good,_ I tried to tell him. He ignored me, pushing my arms up above my head and wrapping the rope around my wrists, over and around the tape. Then he tied the rope to the old iron headboard above me. His face was inches from mine.

"Behave now, Isabella," he said, trailing a finger along my cheek, down my chin and into the low V neckline of my dress. I closed my eyes and tried not to be sick. If I got sick now, I would choke to death. James chuckled and pulled his finger away. I opened my eyes again. He was staring at me, his eyes looking down my body to my exposed legs, and I feared his next move. But he looked back up at my face and chuckled again.

"I never did get what I wanted from you, Isabella," he taunted as he walked away. "But don't worry. This time, I'll get everything I deserve."

With that, he disappeared into the front room, leaving me alone with my terror.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

It had been hours, and the daylight in the cabin had shifted around the room. James had come back a few times to taunt me some more, and once he untied me and took me to the bathroom, which was an immense relief. He'd unbound me long enough to let me use the toilet, but he'd stood outside the windowless room and wrapped my wrists and ankles back up again as soon as I finished, then tied me to the bed again. Back in the room, I was left to stare at the walls. Heavy curtains covered the windows.

As I adjusted to the quiet around me, I could make out his movements in the other room. At one point I heard clicking sounds that sounded familiar. He had a cellphone, I realized. Then I wondered if it was his own phone or mine. I hadn't seen my purse since the club, so I assumed he either had it with him or had tossed it somewhere along the way. I realized who he was texting when we came in later and snapped a picture of me with my own phone.

"Smile, Isabella." _Click._

Later, as darkness closed in, I heard him rummaging through cabinets. He unscrewed something, a bottle cap by the metallic sound of it. Every so often I would hear the dull thud of something hitting the table.

James was drinking.

Night fell. My body ached from the awkward position I was in. My arms were numb. My eyes tried to close in sleep, but I forced them open, too afraid to lose any grip on consciousness now that the drugs had cleared my system. I had to be ready.

Too soon, and yet hours upon hours later—I heard his chair drag across the floor.

"Isabellaaaaaa," he called out. His footsteps across the floor were slow, sluggish; he seemed to be dragging his legs. At the doorway I could make out his outline against the light from the front room. He was disheveled, and I could smell the whiskey even from this distance. He stumbled over toward the bed and reached for my legs. I pulled them in close to myself, trying to keep away from him.

"Don't try to hide from me," he slurred. "You're all mine, now." He leaned down over me, his body nearly covering mine. I couldn't let this happen. I wouldn't. I thought of Rosalie and of Edward. I would fight this just as much for them as for myself. James climbed onto the bed before me. I couldn't see him in the dark, but then he reached out and touched my knee. His hand slid down to my calf, where he wrapped his fingers around me and started to pull my legs out. I yanked myself free and pulled them back in, resisting.

"You know how much I like it when you fight, Isabella," he hissed. "But I'm not in the mood for games tonight." He leaned forward again and reached for my face, but when his torso came within range, I lifted my bound ankles and kicked my feet out as hard as I could. All the adrenaline and fear of the past 24 hours added to the force of my thrust. I connected with his chest and sent him flying backward. Too drunk and disoriented to stop himself, he fell hard against a table at the foot of the bed.

He didn't get back up. Bound to the bed, I realized I'd either knocked him out or killed him.

If he was dead, I'd be bound here until I starved to death, and even after.

If he was alive, then I'd have to pay for my actions when he woke up.

Either way, I was fucked.

* * *

**EPOV**

King had called within the hour Rosalie allotted him. He had little to report. His people knew that James drove an older model four-door sedan. They'd been in touch with his mother and ex-wife and neither had heard from him. He'd started working at Denali just a few weeks earlier under the name Ed Masen.  
Little we didn't already know. Nothing that could help us find Bella.

At noon Rosalie received a text.

_No cops. Ten million. Instructions later._

"Mother fucker," she breathed as she read it.

I paced. Emmett made phone calls to every person he could think of. Rose stared at the door as though praying Bella would walk through it.

"We need to call the police," Emmett tried again.

"Fuck you," I growled.

"Both of you stop it!" Rose snapped.

Silence fell. I resumed my pacing, Rose stared, Emmett dialed yet another number.

In midafternoon Rose received another message.

"Jesus." She showed it to Emmett. His face darkened.

"What is it?" I demanded. They looked at each other. Emmett took the phone from Rose and brought it to me.

"It's Bella," he told me before handing it over. I took it from him and stared at the tiny image before me. My beautiful girl was alive and appeared unhurt. Her arms and legs were bound, however, and she was tied to the bed. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was covered with tape. I wanted to crawl through the phone and rip that motherfucking prick to shreds with my bare hands.

That was the last message we received that day.

As night came, I laid in Bella's bed and inhaled her scent. Rose and Emmett had finally disappeared into Rose's bedroom. Emmett had tried a few more times to convince us to call the police, but if I didn't shoot him down Rosalie did. She and I were united in that much. Alone in Bella's room, however, doubts nagged at me. I wondered again and again if I was doing the right thing. I had failed Bella so completely already; was I making it better or worse for her by not asking for help?

It was the longest night of my life.

* * *

**Thanks for sticking with me. This story's almost done, just a few more chapters. Hang in there! **

**I don't say this nearly enough, but I owe HUGE thanks to ooza for prereading this stuff for me and keeping me in line. If you haven't read her story _Running for Home,_ you're missing out on a great E&B road trip story. Go check it out!  
**

**Story Note:**

_**Misery**_** (1990) starred Kathy Bates as a psychotic fan who holds the object of her obsession, James Caan, hostage in a remote cabin. It's based on the novel by Stephen King. Those of you who read King might also recognize an element of **_**Gerald's Game**_** in this chapter as well. I don't read King usually, but the opening chapters of that book were…intense. **


	19. Chapter 19: Wait Until Dark

**Chapter 19: Wait Until Dark**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**WARNING: This story is on a dark and scary road right now, but things are looking up, I promise.**** Please read with caution and trust me!**

**

* * *

**

**BPOV**

I'd waited what felt like hours for any sign of life from James, but it wasn't until the first light of dawn crept up the walls that I finally heard him move. I breathed a sigh of relief at the sound. I'd spent the night imagining horrifying scenarios; James being alive was, by now, the least frightening possibility. No matter what he did to me, I knew he would still feed me and keep me alive for at least as long as it took for him to get what he wanted. Time was my ally as long as James lived. If he'd died, time would have been nothing but slow torture.

"Unghhhh." The moan was low, but it was human. A moment later a hand appeared on the edge of the bed, and soon he was rising up before me. He was unsteady, and his forehead and face were smeared with dried blood, but I was irrationally happy to see him. He reached up and touched his head, coming away with spots of blood on his fingers. He blinked at them in obvious confusion for a second, then his eyes narrowed as he remembered.

"You were a very bad girl last night, Isabella." His voice was icy, almost inhuman. He walked toward me, still out of balance but quickly regaining his control. "I told you, I will get what I deserve. But first, you will get what you deserve."

I never saw it coming. There was a sudden movement and then the side of my head exploded with pain. Unable to scream through the tape, I bit into my tongue and tasted blood. I felt a weight on my legs and realized that his swing had thrown him forward onto me. He climbed up, straddling my legs, and backhanded me again, this time hitting the other side of my face. Again and again he hit me. The tape around my mouth loosened and gapped, allowing me room to breathe, but I could still do no more than grunt and whimper. He grabbed my hair and yanked my head so that we were face to face.

"You will behave yourself, Isabella, or this will only get worse." His breath was foul as he hissed at me. "You will make sure that Rosalie gets me my fucking money, or I will make sure you suffer until your last breath. Do you understand?"

Looking into his eyes, I realized that there was very little humanity left in James Victor. The false cheerfulness he'd put on the day before apparently had been nothing but a show. There would be no sweet talking him into letting me go. There would be no happy ending. The money would not matter, whether Rose gave it to him or not. The ache in my cheeks and jaw mocked me for my last fleeting hopes of getting out of this alive.

I nodded. The only thing I could do now was go along with whatever he asked me to do until I could find a way to save myself. No matter _what_ he asked. I had to buy myself more time.

Time was my _only_ ally now.

He climbed off of me. "I'm glad we understand each other. I'm gonna go clean myself up and have some breakfast. I sure hope you aren't hungry, Isabella. Because it will be a while before you get your next meal."

With that, he stumbled from the room. As though to punctuate my already dismal state, my stomach growled. I curled myself into a ball as best I could and wept. My eyes felt puffy from the blows and the crying; I could barely open them enough to see James return to the doorway for a moment. I feared more pain, but he held up something I couldn't quite make out. I heard a click and realized he'd taken another photo.

There was only one thing he could be doing.

I cried harder, knowing that Rosalie and Edward were about to receive that picture. My poor Edward, whom I'd pulled into this horrible nightmare because I was simply too selfish to give him up like I should have. Would he still love me as much after all this? Rose, who had already been through this horror once and come out far stronger than I had. Would I have it in me to fight the way she had?

I had to fight. I had to stay alive. They would be doing whatever they could. Had they called the police? I wasn't sure what to hope for. Police would likely find us sooner, but James was unstable. I doubted I'd survive any kind of standoff.

What did I know about this place? It was called the Jacob Lake Inn, and it was in a town by the same name. Ironic that I would be trapped in a place that shared my ex-husband's name. And we were near the Grand Canyon, from what little I'd seen out the windows before James had covered me in the car. I was in a cabin surrounded by other cabins, but they all had seemed abandoned. What if they weren't? What if I could get to one of them, or scream for help?

But what if I did, and there was no one to come for me except an angry James? Or worse, what if someone did come, and I got them killed?

* * *

**EPOV**

The phone in Rosalie's hand chirped once to indicate an incoming message.

_Now it's 20 million. Bella's been a bad girl,_ the text read. There was a photograph attached.  
The small table next to me did not survive my rage.

The phone, Rose, and Emmett all remained silent, although tears spilled over Rosalie's cheeks as she stared at the blurry image of my battered girl.

"I'm going to kill him."

I had never been so certain of anything in my life.

* * *

**BPOV**

Several hours later James untied me and removed the tape from my mouth, wrists, and ankles. The sun's light had shifted well over the house, marking the time as somewhere in the early afternoon.

"Bathroom time," he grunted. "Behave."

In the bathroom I took several deep breaths in through my mouth. My tongue was sensitive and slightly swollen from the bite earlier. My face was painfully sore and also swollen, pulling in odd ways as I shifted my jaw. There was a mirror in the room, and I took stock of the damage. A night spent thrashing around trying to loosen my bonds had left my hair matted and wild. My face was varying shades of red and purple, my eyes puffy, my lips red and chafed from the tape. I splashed water on my face and on the raw red marks around my wrists where the ropes and tape had rubbed. I took care of the usual bathroom business and returned to the hall, where James was waiting. I put out my arms, expecting him to bind them again, but he grabbed me by the arm and pulled me to the kitchen.

"Sit," he commanded. I slowly lowered myself into the chair he indicated. "Put your legs out." Again I complied. He knelt down and bound my ankles with fresh tape. I remained as neutral as possible, afraid of any reaction on my part that might spark his anger. He stood, and I pulled my ankles under my chair and waited.

"It's time to move things along now," he told me as he crossed the kitchen for something. "I've given your friends plenty of time and incentive to cooperate, but you are going to help me seal the deal, you see? You are going to sweet talk that ice bitch into giving me my money. You are going to convince her your life is in danger. You will make her see that giving me what I want is the only way to get you out of this little situation you're in." He grabbed my face roughly and again forced me to face him.

"And you will do all that without any funny business, or you will be punished. Severely."

"H-how much?" I croaked out, my voice raspy from lack of use and hours of crying.

"Never mind how much. She knows the deal. And you will make her see that taking the deal is the best thing for everyone. Got it?"

"Yes," I answered slowly. My brain, however, was moving at light speed. James was going to let me talk to Rose. Was there a way I could tell her where I was? A hint I could give her? Edward would be there too. There had to be something I could say, something James wouldn't pick up on, something that Rose or Edward would understand.

James was booting up my Blackberry. I had a minute at most. Rose. Edward. Jacob Lake. Grand Canyon. He thrust the phone into my hand.

"Remember, Isabella. Say one word I don't like, and you'll regret it."

I looked down at the device. Rose's number was already on the screen. I pressed Send and held it to my ear, closing my eyes as I heard the first ring.

_Dear God, please help me._

* * *

**Rosalie POV**

The phone was ringing, and the number was Bella's. Numb from the emotional toll of the past two days, it took me a few rings to answer. By then Edward and Emmett were plastered to my sides, Emmett holding me tight, Edward death-gripping the arm of the chair next to me.

"Hello?"

_"Rose?"_

"Bella?"

"Let me talk to her!" Edward said, reaching for the phone.

_"No, I have to talk to you Rose, James says I have to talk to you!"_ Bella's voice was shaking. I shook my head at Edward. _She can't,_ I mouthed. His face darkened.

"Are you okay Bells?"

_"I'm scared. James wants his money, Rose. I'm okay for now, but I'm not sure what will happen if you don't give him whatever he wants."_

"Where are you?"

Silence.

_"I'm in deep shit, babe. Deep Shit, Arkansas." _I heard a muffled voice.

"He's there now, listening, isn't he?"

_"Yes. I have to convince you to do what he says, or I'll be punished."_

"Tell me what to do Bella. We'll do anything, you know we will!"

_"You know our financial guy, Mr. Black? Find him. He'll know what to do. I don't know his number, but you can Google it."_

Mr. Black? What the fuck?

"Bella, who—?" She cut me off.

_"Don't worry, Rose, if you do what James wants, we'll be sipping margaritas by the sea soon enough. Just tell Edward not to drive over the edge in the meantime, okay?"_

This conversation was becoming bizarre. Was Bella hallucinating? Delirious? She was making no sense.

_"Promise me, Rose, please. Promise you'll do whatever James says."_

"I promise, Bella. We'll get you back safe, I promise."

_"Just remember everything I said. Please. Tell Edward–"_

The call disconnected. I looked down at it, willing it to ring again, willing all of this to be some kind of prolonged nightmare that I would wake up from soon.

"What did she say?" Edward's hold on sanity was as tenuous as my own.

"She wants us to do whatever James says," I told them. "She says she'll be punished if we don't."

Emmett had to tackle Edward and pin him to the floor to stop him from pounding his fists through the wall. I was still numb; I watched them tussle as though they were nothing more than a television show on a distant screen. Bella was beaten, frightened, and at the mercy of a man with no morals, nothing to lose, and everything to gain. All I had to do was turn over half the money. I would do it, there was nothing else to be done and I would do anything for Bella. But I was confused by her call. Aside from the clear threats from James, none of what she'd said made any sense at all.

"Deep Shit, Arkansas," I muttered to myself.

Edward stopped fighting Emmett and looked at me. "What did you say?"

"It's something Bella said. She said she's in 'Deep Shit, Arkansas.'" I looked back at him. "Why? Does that mean something to you?"

Edward shook off Emmett and came toward me. "You need to tell me everything she said, Rose. Every word."

"I didn't understand half of it. She's probably delusional or hallucinating or something! What does it matter?"

He grabbed my shoulders and shook me, hard. "Goddamnit, Rosalie, what the fuck did Bella say?"

"Edward!" Emmett warned. Edward let go.

"Please, Rose," he begged.

"She said…she said that I should Google our financial guy, Mr. Black, and get him to help with the money. But that's weird, because the only financial person we use is Jane Caius. I don't know anyone named Black except…" _Holy shit._

"Except?"

"Bella's ex-husband. His name is Jacob Black. Bella never liked the sound of 'Bella Black' so she kept her maiden name!"

"What else, Rose?" I understood now. There were clues. _Bella was giving us clues._

"Uh, she said something about sipping margaritas by the sea. Then she said to tell you not to go over the edge in the meantime—No! Not to _drive_ over the edge. She said _drive._" I stared at him. "You know what it means, don't you Edward?"

He nodded. "The lines about deep shit and sipping margaritas are from _Thelma and Louise._ They're movie quotes." He paused in thought. "She's near the Grand Canyon. Bella's at or near the fucking Grand Canyon!"

"Wait, what?" Emmett asked. "How do you figure that?"

"At the end of _Thelma and Louise,_ they drive off the edge of the Grand Canyon, don't you see? Bella said to tell _me_ not to drive over the edge! She knew I'd recognize the quotes!"

"That doesn't exactly narrow it down, Edward." Emmett was shaking his head. Suddenly something clicked in my head.

"Jacob," I blurted out. "Bella told me to Google Mr. Black!"

"Get your laptop!" Edward said, as he began pacing the room. I flew to my room and was back in a few seconds. It took forever to boot up the computer. Edward huffed and paced while Emmett watched us both carefully. I bounced impatiently in my chair.

"Fucking _come on,_" I said to the blank screen. Finally it started up and I logged in.

"Google Jacob and Grand Canyon," Edward ordered. I glared at him.

"I know what the fuck I'm doing." I snapped back. As my browser opened, I typed in the search words. The boys leaned over my shoulders as the results appeared on the screen.

"Jacob Lake!" Edward shouted. "Holy shit! That's where she is!"

I pulled up a Wikipedia article on the town of Jacob Lake.

_"Jacob Lake is a small unincorporated community on the Kaibab Plateau in Coconino County, Arizona, United States, at the junction of U.S. Route 89A and State Route 67. Named after the Mormon explorer Jacob Hamblin, the town is known as the 'Gateway to the Grand Canyon' because it is the starting point of Route 67, the only paved road leading to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon some 44 miles to the south. The town itself consists of the Jacob Lake Inn which maintains motel rooms and cabins, a restaurant, lunch counter, gift shop, bakery, and general store; a gas station/garage; campground; and a visitors center run by the U.S. Forest Service. In the summer months, there is also a nearby center for horse rides."_

"Doesn't sound like there's much there," Emmett commented. "And it's off-season for that kind of place, anyway. Probably not very populated. Easy to hide out in."

I looked at the screen before me. _Way to go, Bella,_ I thought to myself. I didn't know if we would find her, or find her in time to save her from whatever else James might do. But I had to admire her. She had always been the smartest person I knew. But to get a message like that out under the nose of a man threatening her life…Bella Swan was now also the _bravest_ person I knew.

I closed the laptop and stood up.

"Let's go."

* * *

**BPOV**

I'd done the best I could. James had hit me again after the call for trying to get a message to Edward, but he hadn't understood the import of the message I'd tried to send or the other clues I'd thrown in as well. I could only hope now that they would be able to figure it out. I knew Edward; he would recognize the movie quotes almost instantly. But would they piece it together? And would they even be able to find me here, if they got as far as identifying Jacob Lake? I had no idea how popular this area was, how far we were from the town, or if there even was a town here. For all I knew, Jacob Lake was a dried up bed of mud and this rundown old place was long gone before the days of Google. But I'd done the best I could. I endured James's retaliation, even after he split my lip, and held on to the tiny glimmer of hope that I had given myself.

Time. I just needed to buy them, and myself, some time.

Although still angry at my little rebellion, James was pleased enough with my call to Rosalie to allow me to eat finally. It had been nearly a day since my last meal, so I tore into the sandwich of stale bread and cheese with enthusiasm. The bottle of water I downed in a flash; I was dehydrated from the stress and the beatings and crying. James gave me another, and I thanked him with sincere gratitude. In the back of my mind I realized that this was how hostages sometimes develop an attachment to their captors—Stockholm syndrome, it was called. Do enough damage to a human being, and they begin to take any small kindness as a sign of affection.

When I'd finished eating, James unwrapped my ankles and led me to the bathroom, then back to the bedroom. He bound my arms again, but left my mouth and ankles free. He tied my arms to the headboard and leaned down to my face.

"You've done well today, Isabella."

He kissed me.

I wanted to vomit, but I held myself still. He pulled away.

"We'll see how good you can be," he said with a sadistic grin. "I have some important business to attend to first, but I promise to visit you later."

He walked to the door.

"Keep your mouth shut, and I won't tape it again. No one can hear you here, so screaming won't help. Just continue being a good girl, and we'll have lots of fun very soon."

With another terrifying smirk, he disappeared.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

When you know something horrible is going to happen, but you don't know when or how it will begin, time moves in strange ways. Every second feels like a year, yet the hours fly by almost in a blink. You count your every breath, every heartbeat, trying to find a rhythm to track the passage of time, but as the panic sets in, neither is reliable as a metronome. You're terrified of what will come, yet you begin to wish it would start already, so that you can be done with the waiting. You don't _want it to happen;_ you just want it to hurry up and be _over._

I listened to every move James made in the outer rooms. Every time he walked across the floor, every time a chair creaked beneath him, every time he coughed or muttered to himself, I tensed up, wondering if that was the signal of imminent danger. His footsteps sounded weird, as though he were limping or dragging his feet. I searched in vain for escape and rubbed my wrists raw trying to free them from the ropes. As the day wore on I heard the telltale sound of a bottle opening, and I knew it wouldn't be much longer. I wondered how many times he would put the bottle down on the table with a dull thud and pick it up again before he would stumble back into my room. I prayed he would miscalculate and drink too much again, giving me another chance to fight him off.

Darkness settled around the cabin. I heard him rise and stumble through the kitchen, lighting the lantern he'd brought. I could see the weird shadows it cast on the walls as he moved in and out of its beams, and I thought irrationally of vampires and ghosts and other horrors from my childhood. None had ever been as terrifying to me as the man whose footsteps now grew louder.

"Isabellllllla…" he called in a slurry singsong voice as he propped himself up against the door frame. I couldn't make out his expression; it was dark in my room and all the light was behind him.

"You know, I din't think much of you when you firs' came to the bank," he mumbled. "You were kinda bitchy but not so pretty and done up. Course, you always had a fine ass, but it wasn' til the bitch queen took you under her wing that you really made my dick stand up."

He took a step into the room, then another. He stood at the end of the bed, a hulking shadow in the darkness. I caught movement and his hand was around my ankle, pinning me to the mattress even as he began to slide it slowly up my calf.

"Yeah, you were a fuckin' sight to see, Isabella Swan, once Rosalie got her claws into you. You started wearin' those stockin's with the seams up the back, and I'd imagine followin' those lines with my tongue straight up under those tidy li'l skirts." His fingers dug into the back of my leg as though following invisible seams. I hadn't worn stockings to the club. I'd wanted Edward to have easy access, knowing that he'd take advantage of the dark and the music, just as he had. Now I cursed myself for leaving off one more layer that might have protected me, might have delayed this. By the time his thumb hit the hem of my skirt, already bunched up too high from my awkward position, he was standing over me and his fingers beneath me were sliding up, tainting my last memory of Edward's own fingers in the same place, doing the same thing.

I wouldn't let him take Edward from me without a fight.

"Leave me alone, James." My voice was raspy and shaky. With as much force as I could muster pulled my free leg back and kicked out, forcing him backward.

"Bitch!" He slapped me hard again, but I was angry now.

"Is that all you've got James? Fucking pussy, slapping me like a girl. You probably couldn't fuck me even if you tried. Is this what gets you off, huh? Beating the crap out of girls? Jealous that our pussies are prettier than yours?"

I lashed out with my legs, kicking at him, keeping him away from me as long as I could.

It wasn't long enough.

He threw himself on top of me, and my legs were still. His weight made my body arch, yanking my arms hard against the ropes, and I cried out with at the sudden ache in my shoulders.

"We'll see whose got the pussy here," he growled. He tore open my blouse. "Well, lookee here." I screwed my eyes shut and tried not to feel it as he touched my breasts. As his fingers hooked inside my bra and tore the lace. I prayed that I would pass out so I wouldn't have to remember his mouth on me. As he shoved me backward with his movements, I started to bang my head against the headboard in the hope of drawing blood to distract him or blackness to allow me to forget.

Only when he made a move for my skirt, for my last layer of protection from him, did I start to scream. I knew he was going to kill me anyway. It didn't matter if no one heard. My mind had taken too much, my heart was too heavy, my body was too worn down to hold it in any longer. I screamed and he hit me. I coughed and gagged against blood, but I kept screaming.

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" he yelled. He unzipped his pants.

The world exploded. James's weight disappeared from my body and I felt something fly past me in the darkness. There was a crash as bodies slammed into the far wall of the cabin. I kept screaming, not knowing who or what had come. The shadows tussled and the bed shifted as first one, then the other body was slammed into it. Whoever was now sprawled next to me, they were losing the fight; punches rained down again and again, shaking the mattress as I cowered away. Then I heard the voice.

"Never"_—thud—_"touch"_—thud—"_my"_—thud—"_girl"_—thud—_"again!"

_Edward._

As though to confirm it, another body with a familiar voice rushed into the room.

"Edward! Edward! STOP!" I sensed Emmett pulling Edward off of James and holding him back. Edward was thrashing hard, but the body next to me was limp. "You'll kill him, Edward."

"I fucking want to kill him!" Edward growled.

"Ed–Edward?" I couldn't see him properly. Could he really be here? Or had I lost my mind?

Suddenly there was someone next to me. I flinched and pulled away.

"It's me, Bella." Edward's voice was so close, so real. I felt my arms pulled free from the ropes. They ached and burned as the feeling returned to my fingers and my shoulders unwound.

"I can't see you." My voice and eyes were full of tears. The tape binding my wrists tore open, and my hands flew to the face in front of me. The straight, strong jaw, covered in several days' stubble. My fingers traced the lips that I knew as well as my own. I reached up and wrapped both hands in the soft hair that stood wildly on his head.

"Edward," I sighed. He was here. It was over.

And my whole body surrendered. I shook and sobbed, tears mixing with blood and sweat. I wrapped my arms around him and he held me tightly as three days' worth of adrenaline and fear burst forth. I was vaguely aware of approaching sirens. He held me as the police and paramedics filled the room. So many strangers—so many men—I was momentarily paralyzed by them all, but Edward's arms kept me safe.

I refused to leave Edward's side even when the paramedics tried to put me on a gurney.

"I'll carry her out," he told them. He lifted me and carried me through the cabin, down the steps, and up to the waiting ambulance. There he laid me down on the gurney himself.

"Don't leave me!" I screamed in a panic. "Edward!"

"I'm not leaving you, Bella," he soothed. The paramedics lifted me and wheeled me into the ambulance, and Edward climbed in beside me and took my hand.

"Sir! We need your statement! Sir!" A police officer ran up to the ambulance, gesturing for Edward.

"I'm going to the hospital." His word was final. "You can question me all you want once I know my girl is safe."

"Bella!" A female voice called. I sat up as best I could.

"Rose!" She was disheveled and her makeup ran in dark streaks down her face, but she was beautiful. She climbed into the ambulance as well, sparking a protest from the paramedic.

"Let me just see her, please?" I begged.

"Two minutes," he answered.

Edward shifted so that Rosalie could sit beside me.

"You look like hell, Rose," I said. "What happened to never leaving the house looking less than your best, hm?"

She laughed in spite of herself. "You're an idiot."

"I know," I chuckled, sinking back down onto the gurney. She took my hand with one hand and touched my forehead with the other, brushing my hair out of my face.

"Bells, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. It never was. And he didn't hurt anything that won't heal. Edward made sure of that." I glanced at him and realized for the first time that he was in tears. Rosalie choked out a sob as well.

"I love you," she said, lifting my hand and kissing it.

"I love you too, Rose."

She stood. "I'll see you at the hospital." Then she climbed down and was gone. Edward slid back into place beside me. I reached up and wiped away the tears and blood from his face.

"You're hurt," I whispered.

"Nothing that won't heal, right?"

I closed my eyes. "Right." I opened them again and looked at him. "Stay with me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Bella."

The ambulance doors slammed shut and the engine started. The paramedic strapped me in, which gave me a moment's panic, but Edward held my hand and touched my hair and I lost myself in the green and bronze.

* * *

**EPOV**

She was sleeping, finally. I kept my watch from the chair beside her as doctors and nurses came and went, checking her vitals, bandaging her cuts, switching out her IV. She was dehydrated, bruised, and would need some minor plastic surgery to fix the open cuts that motherfucker had left on her face, but she was still as beautiful as ever. Carlisle had come up to check on us both, and after talking with her doctors he assured me she was fine. She hadn't been raped. Not…completely, anyway. I knew that she'd been through enough trauma to bring back the nightmares; she was already twitching in the bed as I watched her. Would this be the end of the stronger, less frightened Bella she'd been in the past few weeks? Would I again find her cowering in closets?

I didn't know what to expect. I could only hope that she would turn to me for support when she needed it and not run from me as she once had.

"Edward," she breathed, smiling slightly. I smiled in return. If I was still the hero in her dreams, then perhaps we could survive reality together.

I'd given my statement to the police in the emergency room while the doctors had attended to Bella. My own face and hands had had to be cleaned and bandaged as well; my knuckles were severely bruised, one even slightly fractured, and I had a black eye and few other bumps and scratches. The nurses bustled around me as I told the detectives about Bella's abduction and the subsequent ransom demands. They questioned why we didn't call the police, of course, and I wasn't sure whether there would be any fallout from that, but the fact of the matter was that James Victor had tied my girl to a bed, beaten her, attempted to rape her, and he'd sent Rose two pictures to prove it. No one would tell me where he was or what condition he was in, which had me mildly concerned, but whatever our actions had been, his were the primary concern, and I knew we had the evidence to put him away for good this time.

Emmett had told the police already how we'd put together the clues from Bella's call and driven out to Jacob Lake to look for her. We had no idea if we were even on the right track, and it had been a long 5 hours' drive, even in Rosalie's speedster going well above the posted limits. Once we'd gotten to Jacob Lake we could do little but drive around and hope to find some sign of them. At the general store we asked about strangers in the area and about places to stay, but we got little from the couple who ran it. The only resort in town, they said, was the old inn down the road, but it had been closed for years. After talking with Emmett and Rose we'd agreed that that was as good a place as any to start. It was already getting dark, so we wouldn't be able to do much more anyway.

We drove up to the Jacob Lake Inn as quietly as we could. Emmett turned out the lights and shut down the engine as soon as he was able, and we sat in the car looking for any sign of activity. The inn was actually a collection of small cabins spread out along the lake, and it was so dark by then that we could barely make out their outlines in the faint moonlight that filtered down between the trees. Emmett and I convinced Rosalie to stay in the car with the cellphone in case we needed help or James called again. Then we crept out and split up. I hadn't gone far when I saw a light spring up some two hundred yards away. I wanted to run, but the ground was covered in dead leaves and twigs, so I had to pick my way carefully toward it.

Until the screaming started.

"Don't cry, Edward."

I wiped my eyes and looked over at her. The swelling in her face made her nearly unrecognizable, but I could never mistake those eyes.

"I'm sorry Bella," I said, taking her outstretched hand. "I'm so sorry."

"You saved me Edward. There's nothing to apologize for."

"Do you need anything?"

"I'd like to see my Dad. Have you called him?"

"Yes, sweetheart, he's on his way here now." I'd called Police Chief Charlie Swan from Forks, Washington, the first time Bella had fallen asleep. That had been an awkward conversation. How does one say "Hi, I'm your daughter's boyfriend, just wanted you to know she's been stalked, abducted, beaten, and nearly raped on my watch so you might wanna come down and visit" to the father of the girl you love? Especially when that man carries a gun? Chief Swan had called a while ago to say he was at the airport in Las Vegas; it was still a 4-hour drive to Kane County Hospital from there.

"Can I come in?" Rosalie poked her head in the doorway. She'd taken it upon herself to get us hotel rooms—the best rooms she could find in this area, of course—and gone shopping for new clothes for all of us, toiletries, makeup for her and Bella, and any other essentials. It was her way of coping, I supposed. I was grateful, regardless, when she brought Bella something new and untainted to wear. It had made Bella's eyes light up, and I was looking forward to her discharge so that she could shed the unflattering hospital gown and get back to looking more like herself. I knew her injuries were bothering her as much from a vanity perspective as anything else.

Bella smiled at her friend. "Rose!" She waved her in. I stood.

"I'll let you ladies talk in peace. I'll just be right outside, I want to talk to Carlisle and Emmett."

Bella nodded.

"Thank you, Edward," Rose smiled. She and I had connected over this experience, and I no longer saw her as a threat to me or to Bella. Rose was just Rose, beautiful, thorny, and full of love for the people who stuck around long enough to appreciate her. She and Emmett were a good match. I nodded to her, blew a kiss to Bella, and left them to catch up.

"Edward," Carlisle called when he saw me. "I was just speaking with Dr. Gerandy. A friend of mine from Phoenix is driving up to do Bella's cosmetic work this afternoon; the hospital was kind enough to extend him temporary privileges. She should be ready to go home tomorrow."

"That's great, thank you, Carlisle."

"I should warn you that Esme, Alice, and Jasper are quite put out that you didn't tell anyone what was going on. They're all grateful that you boys were able to rescue Bella, but your mother is furious that any of you were in that kind of danger and didn't ask for our help."

"They aren't the only ones," a gruff voice said. We turned. I recognized Chief Swan from the pictures in Bella's apartment.

"Chief Swan," I said, walking toward him and extending my hand. He shook it tightly. "I'm Edward Masen. This is my father, Carlisle Cullen, and my brother, Emmett Cullen." I gestured to each of them. "Guys, this is Charlie Swan, Bella's father." He shook the others' hands with seemingly less pressure than he'd crushed mine. Maybe it was just the injuries on my hand that made it seem more forceful.

"Nice to meet all of you. Now where the hell is my daughter?"

Maybe not.

Carlisle led the way. "She's just in here, Chief."

He paused at the doorway, and his face registered his shock and grief at her appearance. Carlisle leaned toward him.

"She's going to be fine. Just cuts and bruises. Nothing permanent."

He glanced gratefully at Carlisle and nodded, then stepped into the room. I heard Bella call out for him, and a minute later I heard her crying. Unable to stand it, I peeked in. She was hugging him, and his own eyes appeared to be wet. Rose stood to the side, holding back tears as well. I doubted I would ever see Rosalie Hale cry as much again as I'd seen this past week, and in truth I never wanted to see it again. If Rose was crying, then things were really, really bad.

Bella saw me looking and smiled over her father's shoulder. _Thank you,_ she mouthed. _I love you._

_I love you too,_ I mouthed back, then retreated to give them some privacy.

When I turned, there were two detectives standing in the hall.

"Mr. Masen?"

I nodded. "What's going on?"

"We're here to inform you that James Victor is dead."

* * *

**I know it got dicey there for a minute. Thanks for sticking with me! Probably only two chapters left now. BIG thanks to ooza for reading these on the fly now, as I crank them out and just in time for me to post them! **

**Story Notes:**

**The Jacob Lake Inn is a real place in the real town of Jacob Lake, Arizona, on the northern side of the Grand Canyon. I have never been there, and I have taken extreme liberties with it for the sake of this story. The resort is, in fact, a hotel as well as a collection of cabins spread out through the woods, but judging by the Web site (jacoblake[dot]com), it is not only fully operational but also quite beautiful. If I'm ever headed that way I look forward to seeing it in person.**

_**Wait Until Dark**_** is a 1967 movie starring Audrey Hepburn as a blind woman terrorized by drug dealers who invade her apartment in search of missing heroin. It's quite intense, and Audrey is, of course, amazing in it. Was she ever **_**not**_** amazing?**

**_Thelma & Louise_ (1991) starred Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis and made men everywhere terrified of pissing off their women. ;) It also introduced the world to Brad Pitt. Which makes it one of the greatest movies of all time.  
**


	20. Chapter 20: The Wizard of Oz

**Chapter 20**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**

* * *

**

**EPOV**

_James Victor was dead._

"Dead?" I asked. "When?"

"Yes, early this morning," one of them answered. "Cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage due to trauma."  
_Oh God._ "Did I…is it…was it because I hit him?" I felt the blood drain from my face. Had I really killed him? I'd wanted to, so badly, but now—would I go to jail?

"We don't know for sure. We're waiting on autopsy. But it may have been due to the blow to the head he sustained when he attacked Ms. Swan the night before. From what she told us, his behavior changed considerably for the worse after he regained consciousness the next morning. He was off-balance and slurring his words as well, she said, although she attributed it to his drinking."

"It wasn't?"

"Well, the whiskey certainly didn't help, but the doctors say all those changes are indicative of traumatic brain injury as well. However, you knocking him into a wall and beating the shit out of him didn't help either."

"So now what?"

"We'll talk to the district attorney. We think it unlikely that he'll want to press charges; Ms. Swan's actions were obviously in self-defense, and under the circumstances I think he'll see your actions as justified. But we wanted to let you know that the issue remains open until the DA makes his decision."  
I rubbed my hand over my face, trying to absorb this information. I wasn't being arrested…yet. But I still could be?

"What about Bella?" I asked. "Is she likely to be charged with anything?"

"What's this?" A voice said from just behind me. It was Charlie. "Charged?"

The detectives took a step back. "Who are you, sir?"

"My name is Charles Swan," he answered. "I am the Chief of Police in Forks, Washington, and the very pissed off father of Isabella Swan. Now what is this about her being charged?"

"We were just saying, Chief, that we didn't think it likely; her actions were in self-defense—"

"Damn right!" Charlie interrupted. "Is that piece of crap pressing charges for something?"

"He's dead, Charlie," I whispered. "James is dead. Cerebral hemorrhage."

Charlie looked at me for a moment, then turned back to the detectives.

"This interview is over, gentlemen. Go see Bella, Edward, she's looking for you." I glanced at the detectives, unsure whether I was actually free to leave. Charlie caught my eye and nodded. "Go on."

I walked away, leaving Charlie with the detectives, and returned to Bella, hoping it would not be the last time I would do so as a free man.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

While Bella was in surgery later that afternoon, Charlie and I filled in Carlisle, Rose, and Emmett on the situation. Rose alternated between celebrating James's demise and swearing a blue streak. Emmett apologized repeatedly for not getting to me and pulling me off James sooner. Carlisle called his attorney for the names of some good criminal lawyers, just in case. Charlie promised to do what he could and started making calls to friends of his in Washington to see if anyone had any connections or influence down here. I ignored them all and went back to waiting for Bella.

The television in her room was on, and I stared at it without really paying attention to it until a familiar photograph flashed on the screen. I quickly turned on the sound.

_"Police are not releasing anything official at this time, but sources tell us that the deceased, James Victor, was facing kidnapping, assault, and other charges. His alleged victim, Isabella Swan, of Phoenix, is in good condition at Kane County Hospital and is expected to be released tomorrow."_

Fucking hell. I'd known the story wouldn't stay quiet forever, but I'd hoped we could have a little more time. I went to find the others and let them know. Carlisle went to talk to the hospital administration about blocking reporters, and Emmett went outside to call Jasper and give them a heads up, just in case the reporters somehow figured out Bella's connection to my family.

Bella's cosmetic surgery went smoothly, and we were all driving toward Phoenix by the next afternoon. We'd had to notify the detectives before we left and promise not to leave Arizona while we waited to hear from the district attorney. The autopsy results were due in soon, and then the decision about charges would be made. A few reporters milled about outside the hospital, but we managed to avoid them by sneaking out through the emergency room, thanks to some help from Bella's nurses. The story was still news, but the lack of details coming from the police or hospital and Charlie's refusal speak to any reporters or allow Bella to contacted meant the media was running out of steam quickly.

Rosalie and Emmett took Rose's car and Carlisle drove himself. Bella and I rode in the Chief's rented SUV because it had the most space for Bella. Her face was bandaged from the surgery, but the swelling had gone down for the most part, and she was starting to look like herself again. We made small talk, but for the most part it was a long and awkward ride. I knew Charlie still had questions about what had happened, particularly _why_ it had happened, and I hadn't had a chance yet to talk to Bella and Rose alone and figure out exactly how much of the story to tell him. I wasn't sure if he knew about James's ransom demands or even knew about the money from King. For his part, Charlie clearly didn't want to upset Bella by talking about what she'd been through, and I was using that as a way to avoid discussing anything at all. On top of that, none of us had told Bella yet about James or the possibility of criminal charges; we decided it best to wait until she was home and had gotten some real rest.

It was late evening by the time we made it back to Phoenix. At my mother's insistence we were all staying at my parents' house instead of our apartments so that Mom could fuss over us as much as possible, Carlisle could keep an eye on Bella, and everyone could just take some time to relax and recover. The media apparently hadn't made the connection between Bella and my family as yet, for which I was grateful; we were able to get her into the house with no trouble. I offered Charlie the room next to mine and planned to take the couch downstairs, but Bella insisted I stay with her.

"Please, Edward," she begged, fisting my shirt in her hands. "I can't be alone. Don't leave me alone."

I looked over at Charlie. I didn't want to disrespect him in any way, but I'd be damned if I was gonna leave my girl alone when she was clearly frightened. He was watching us intently, his concern for Bella clear on his face. When he met my eyes and saw the question in them, he nodded.

"Take care of my girl, Edward," he said gruffly. He leaned in and kissed Bella on the forehead. "Love you, Bells."

"Love you too, Dad." Her voice cracked. Charlie smiled at her and disappeared into the guest room.

"Come on, beautiful girl. You need some sleep." I picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. She smiled weakly at the gesture.

"I'm not a doll, Edward, I can walk, you know."

"I know, but it's my job to take care of you now, and I don't want to get on the Chief's bad side," I joked. "He's probably listening right now for any signs that I'm being anything less than a gentleman, so you'd better behave yourself tonight."

A bandage above her eye shifted upward as she raised an eyebrow at me. "Behave _myself?_ You're cute, Mr. Masen, but you are not that cute. I think I can resist you for one night."

"Oh really? Well, as soon as you're feeling better I'll have to work hard to change that. I want you to find me utterly irresistible from now on."

She smiled again, but after a few seconds her face fell. She looked away toward the window and started gnawing on her lip. I could see that her thoughts had drifted to darker places.

"Hey," I said, nudging her chin lightly and bringing her back to me. "I'm here."

"I know," she answered as her eyes filled. I brushed away the tears that started to fall. "I'm just so scared, Edward. What's going to happen now?"

"You're going to rest, and I am going to hold you and stay by your side while you sleep. That's what's going to happen." I put her down on the bed and climbed in beside her, pulling her down to my chest and wrapping my arms securely around her. "Tomorrow we can all sit down together and figure out where we go from here, but tonight I just want to keep you safe." She felt so small and fragile to me now. Breakable, like silk over glass. But she wasn't glass. She was steel. She'd made it through hell almost entirely on her own. "I'm so sorry, Bella. I'm so sorry I wasn't there sooner, that I wasn't able to protect you."

"You saved me when it counted, Edward," she whispered. "And I knew you wouldn't give up looking for me. I knew you'd figure it all out. I fought him because I knew you'd want me to fight, and I couldn't let him take us from each other. Knowing you were out there waiting for me helped keep me alive, keep me fighting. You saved me simply by loving me."

"I would never have given up on you, Bella. I would have gone to the ends of the Earth for you."

"I know."

She drifted to sleep soon after. I listened to her breaths slow and deepen. When the nightmares came, I held her as her body twitched and jerked. I talked to her, told her over and over that I loved her, that she was safe, that no one would ever hurt her again. Eventually she would calm, and I would count her breaths and feel her heart beating against my chest and wait for the next round.

I never slept. It was my job to keep watch over her now, and I would not fail her ever again.

* * *

**BPOV**

I was stiff, my face was sore, and my body hurt everywhere.

But I could not have been happier to realize, as I woke from another difficult night's sleep, that I was in Edward's arms. Their weight around me was comfort unlike anything I'd ever known, and I reveled in the sensation.

The nightmare had come again and again during the night. I could remember it clearly—too clearly. James, stumbling into the room, hovering over me, tearing my blouse, touching me, putting his mouth on me. My arms immobilized, my hope dwindling, my mind preparing itself to shut down and try to endure the pain and horror about to begin.

In the dreams I was always more paralyzed by fear than I'd even been in reality. Often I wasn't even in the cabin; sometimes it was my own bed, or the desk in the library, or other unfamiliar places conjured up by my subconscious as though it were trying to maximize the horror of what _could have been_.

It had been days since Edward had saved me from James. Two days? Three? I'd lost track, allowing myself to dwell in the timeless limbo provided by sleep and heavy sedatives. My friends and my father had come and gone from my hospital room in an endless cycle of love and support. I'd allowed them to care for me and hide things from me, and I'd deliberately ignored the increasingly serious expressions they wore. This morning, however, as my mind clicked into consciousness I realized that being home in Phoenix meant it was time to begin facing reality again.

I tilted my head up to see Edward's face and found him staring down at me. The circles beneath his eyes were deep trenches of pain, exhaustion, and guilt.

"Edward." I let his name fall from my lips in a whisper before he captured them with his own for a brief kiss. When he pulled back, I reached up and traced his eyes with my fingertips.

"You're not sleeping." It wasn't a question.

"I'm fine, Bella." His answer was short. And a lie.

Ignoring the soreness in my body, I pushed myself up to a sitting position and glared at him.

"You're not fine. I know that look, Edward. I know your face as well as I know my own. Better, probably, since mine has been recently rearranged." He cringed, but I went on. "When did you sleep last?"

"Bella—"

"Don't fucking _'Bella'_ me. When?"

He dropped his chin and stared down at his fingers.

"I don't know. Probably the last time we were together like this, the day we were celebrating."

"The day James took me." It had been nearly a week since then. _Oh God, what had I done to this poor man?_ "I'm sorry, Edward."

His head snapped up.

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I should have protected you. I should have taken better care of you. How could I sleep, knowing you were enduring God only knows what kind of hell? Don't ever fucking apologize to me for that again. I deserve whatever I get for not being the man you needed me to be." He held my face gently between his hands. "If keeping you safe meant I could never sleep again, I would do it."

"You'll never be able to take care of me if you don't take care of yourself," I told him. "I know that there are things that need to be done today. I know you and everyone else have questions to ask. And I know there's something else going on, something you haven't told me. We have to climb out from the rocks we've been hiding under and start dealing with everything. But I want you to promise me that after we've all talked and figured things out, you'll come back up here and sleep. I need you, Edward. I need you to be strong _for_ me and _with_ me. Please." A wave of emotion hit me. "I can't do this—can't move on from this—without you," I choked out. He sat up and wrapped his arms around me again, and the feeling of safety and comfort engulfed me again.

"I promise," he whispered into my hair. "I love you Bella."

"I love you, Edward."

A few minutes later there was a soft knock on the door. It cracked open, and Rosalie was peering in at us.

"Can we come in?"

I shifted so I was sitting next to Edward with my legs across his lap, and I patted the empty space beside me.

"Of course, Rose, Emmett," I tried to smile. It pulled at my stitches, but I held it as Emmett closed the door behind them and they walked quietly to the bed. Rose leaned in and hugged me awkwardly, since Edward was still holding me. She glanced at him with a half-smile as she sat down beside me, and he nodded to her as she sat. Emmett remained standing behind her, a half-grin on his face.

"Heya, Tits."

I snorted. "Mornin', Asshole." He beamed.

Then, awkward silence. The room suddenly became heavy with tension I didn't understand. Rose glanced at Edward with a strange expression, and I watched first in surprise and then with a growing irritation as they seemed to converse silently. Even Emmett joined in, and it was clear that I was missing something huge.

"Are you three gonna quit the semaphore eyebrow signals and talk to me or do I need to find a fucking translator?"

"I'm sorry, Bells," Rose answered. "It's just…." She trailed off and looked at Edward again.

He tightened his hold on me again. "We just have to talk about some things and make some decisions before we face the inquisition downstairs."

I closed my eyes, and an image of Esme, Carlisle, Jasper, Alice, and my father sitting downstairs waiting on us like a firing squad popped into my head. I grimaced at the thought.

"Okay, so talk. What's going on?"

"First we need to figure out what we've all said to the police and everyone else about the money," Rose  
answered. "Emmett and I just told them James was after my divorce settlement. James was already wanted on charges from that night in the library, so I'm sure the cops have all put two and two together. But it's not just the cops who want answers."

Edward agreed. "I've been putting off the questions from Carlisle and Charlie, and I'm sure everyone else wants to know why all this happened and exactly how you both happen to have so much money all of a sudden."

I thought about it for a moment, trying to remember my conversations with the detectives who came and went from my room at the hospital.

"The police have definitely made the connection," I recalled. "They asked me about the earlier charges. Nothing specific; they confirmed that he was the same guy. They did ask about the money, but I didn't know how much he'd even demanded; he wouldn't tell me. So I was pretty shocked when they told me he'd wanted so much. I'm pretty sure I told them the same thing—that it was your divorce settlement, and that he'd blamed us for him losing his job, et cetera."

"That's good." Rose was smiling. "At least we have a consistent story to go with. It shouldn't be too hard to stick with that if the press starts nosing around here."

I gulped. "The press?" _Oh no no no._ "Oh God, please tell me James isn't talking. I mean, they have him in custody, right? So does that mean…Oh God, is his lawyer talking to the press?"

Suddenly it hit me. There was going to be publicity. And a trial. I would have to testify. It would only be a matter of time before everything came out, all our secrets, our agreement, the money—how would the press make us look then? Sure, we'd been used and abused, especially me, but would anyone see past the dollar signs? If Royce's actions were made public, would that be the end of the agreement? Would we still lose everything? I began to panic. What about Edward and his family? Jasper? Oh God, if the press got wind of our connection to Jasper and Alice…I couldn't imagine the headlines. We'd all be tabloid fodder for months or even years to come.

Through my abstraction I noticed Edward shift so that he was facing me directly.

"Calm down, baby. It's going to be okay. I promise. James isn't talking. He's never going to talk."

"You can't promise that Edward!" I interrupted. "He's sure as hell going to take us all down with him when this comes to trial!"

"There isn't going to be a trial, Bells," Rose said quietly. I frowned at her.

"What? Why? After all that he did to me? Not even Royce can sweep all this under the rug! Not again!"

"No Bella," Edward explained. "It's not getting swept under a rug. But James isn't going to talk, and he isn't going to trial. He's…he's dead."

The word hung there between us, but I couldn't comprehend it.

Dead.

James is dead.

Dead?

"How?" I whispered.

"Cerebral hemorrhage."

"Cerebral…" My brain tried to process this information. It seemed significant. "You mean,…he's gone? Like, really gone?" _Cerebral, cerebellum, head, brain, hemorrhage, blood clot, blood…._ My hand flew to my mouth as my mind made the connection. "Was it—was it because I—because he fell?" I remembered now the doctors and police asking me questions about James's behavior before and after I knocked him over. They had quizzed me over and over. I'd never considered that his downward spiral had been anything but alcohol-fueled cruelty.

"We're waiting to find out, Bells," Rose answered. "The autopsy results are due in anytime."

"There's more," Edward said quietly. "Are you okay? Do you think you can handle more?"

"I think so. It's just—he's really dead?" The reality was starting to dawn on me. James was gone. He could never touch me again. I was safe.

"Yes. But Bella, the police—they're not sure yet whether it was his fall or the fight I had with him after that actually caused the hemorrhage. The district attorney there…well, they're not sure yet whether they'll charge us with his death. I mean, the police don't think _you'll_ be charged with anything; they see that as a pretty clear case of self-defense. But if I caused it because I hit him so hard, and so many times,…I could be charged with some form of manslaughter probably."

_No no no no no no_…not Edward. They couldn't take him away from me. _Please God, no._ My head swirled as I tried to hold back the screams that were tearing open my chest. _I can't have ruined Edward's life. Please, please,…_

Voices echoed in my head, calling my name, but I couldn't stop the blackness from overtaking me. I didn't want to stop it. I welcomed it instead. As I surrendered myself to the peace of oblivion, I thought I heard a phone ringing. But I was already too far gone to care.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

_"You shouldn't have told her like that! I should have been there. If you'd only waited a few more minutes, you could have spared her all this!"_

_"We were just trying to prepare her, Charlie. She deserved to know. She demanded it."_

_"It's been too long, Carlisle. Maybe we should call an ambulance."_

_"She'll be okay. She's just not as strong yet as she might want you to think. You have to be more careful with her. All of you."_

_"I think she's coming around…Bella, can you hear me baby?"_

I felt like Dorothy coming home from Oz. I was surrounded by the anxious faces of Edward, Rosalie, Esme, Alice, Emmett, Carlisle, and my dad. Only Jasper was missing, although between the bodies clustered around my bed I could make out a shadow hovering in the doorway. I spent a long, delirious minute trying to decide which of them was the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, and the Cowardly Lion. Rosalie was most definitely Glinda. And Alice surely represented the Lollipop Guild. I snorted at the ridiculous comparisons, but as reality began to set in again, I found myself wishing for a bucket of water to douse me so I could melt away from the truth. I was no Dorothy.

Edward could go to jail for saving me. Could there be a witch more wicked than me? _What a world, what a world…_

"Bella?" Edward's voice cut through my insane thoughts and brought me back to Kansas. Or rather, Phoenix. Whatever. _There's no place like home._

"I'm all right," I said, trying to sit myself up. Carlisle stopped me.

"Stay still, Bella. You've had a bit of a shock, you need to let your body process it."

"I'm so sorry Bella!" Rosalie cried. "We shouldn't have told you."

Voices erupted simultaneously, half of them blaming each other and themselves for upsetting me, and the other half trying to convince everyone that no one was to blame. It was too loud. I closed my eyes and covered my ears.

"All of you, please stop!" There was abrupt silence as they all looked at me. "Look, I realize I probably freaked you all out just now, and I'll admit I wasn't exactly expecting all this. But I have a right to know what the fuck is going on, so I won't allow you to toss around blame for giving me exactly what I wanted."

"Isabella," Charlie started. Hearing my full name made my stomach lurch.

"Don't call me that!" I snapped. His eyes widened in shock. "I'm sorry, Dad, it's just…that's what Ja—_he_ called me."

His face registered horror. "I'm so sorry Bells—"

I swallowed the lump in my throat and beat back the memories that flickered in my mind. "It's okay. I'd just…rather not be called that anymore." He nodded.

"Try to stay calm, Bella, we need to keep your blood pressure down," Carlisle cautioned, taking my arm and wrapping it in a pressure cuff. "I know there are things you want to discuss. But I'm responsible for your care while you're here, so I _will_ step in if I think that you're overtaxing yourself, do you understand?"  
"I understand, Carlisle. And thank you."

"Bella." Edward's voice was so low I almost missed it. "The…the district attorney's office called."

"They did?"

Charlie answered. "Yeah, they, uh, they called my phone. I was talking to them when all hell broke loose in here."

"And?" I looked at all of them, but it was Rose's face that gave it away. She was smug. That could only mean—

"They're not pressing charges, babe. They can't be certain whether hemorrhage was a result of his fall or the fight, but they agree your actions were self-defense and they can't prove definitively that Edward caused his death."

Charlie was nodding. "They've opted not to pursue charges. Probably figure no one will mourn that son of a bitch's passing, and charging either of you would only bring a shitstorm of bad press on them for a case they can't prove anyway. You and Edward are both off the hook."

Rose's face broke into a dazzling smile. "It's over."

_Over._

_Edward wouldn't go to jail._

_I was free of James forever._

_It was really over._

Ignoring everyone else in the room, I pulled Edward to me and kissed him. There would be no more shadows between us, no more mysteries or secrets. We were free.

A gruff cough followed by several girlish giggles interrupted our rather enthusiastic celebration. Edward stunned me by blushing, which I understood as soon as I saw Charlie's face. I held back a snort of laughter.

"Charlie, please stop shooting death glares at Edward," I teased. "I realize I never got to properly introduce you two, and I suppose it's stating the obvious to do this now, but…Dad, this is Edward. He's a very good man who has memorized probably every movie on the planet and treats me like gold. I love him very much, and I want you to be nice to him. Edward, this is my father, Charlie. He's overprotective and not particularly talkative, but don't let that scare you. Just be careful when he gets his guns out for cleaning."

Edward blushed harder, and Charlie shook his head. His moustache twitched, so I knew he was smiling. Everyone else burst out into hysterics.

"Now, if it's all right with all of you, I'm still a bit tired, and I need all of your help in convincing Edward to get some sleep as well. He's taken it upon himself to be my 24-hour guard, and I'm afraid if he doesn't sleep soon he'll fall over."

"Bella—" Edward started to protest, but Esme jumped in.

"Edward Anthony Masen, you stay here with Bella and you get some sleep! I've had enough drama in this family to last me a lifetime, and I will not have you putting your own health at risk, do you hear me?"

"Yes, Mom." He smiled as she ran over and gave him a hug.

"If you need any help sleeping, either of you, let me know," Carlisle added as he packed up his medical supplies. "I have something I can give you if you're too nervous or stressed or whatever."

"Thank you, Carlisle," I smiled at him.

They filed out of the room, and we were alone again.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, pulling me into his arms. I wrapped myself around him.

"Not entirely," I answered truthfully. "But I feel safe with you."

We lay down and pulled the blankets back up around us. I shifted our bodies until Edward's head was resting on my chest, my left arm around his neck, my right hand playing gently with the tangles of bronze on his head.

"I love you, Bella Swan," he mumbled into my skin. His breath tickled.

"I love you too, Edward."

Within minutes, his body relaxed, and his weight sank into my body. I breathed deeply into his hair, taking in the smell of him, committing it to memory. The past was finally over, and the future held all kinds of incredible possibilities.

I closed my eyes.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

The next few days were trying. First, of course, I had to face the firing squad of Carlisle, Esme, Alice, and Jasper. Rose, Emmett, and Edward deflected as much of it as possible, and together we put up a solid front and a relatively coherent story. The money was Rose's, except for what I'd gotten as part of my severance package the year before when I'd been "laid off" by King. (We reduced my net worth substantially, of course.) James, we told them, had been stalking me since I worked at King, and he'd been pissed that I'd brushed off his advances. The news that James was wanted for assaulting me previously eventually came out as well, so we'd had to weave that into our lies. Keeping details to a minimum, we said that he'd cornered me once before and I'd been injured, causing him to flee. Charlie was less than satisfied with this explanation, of course.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded. "You were hurt? In the hospital? And you didn't call me?"

"Dad, please," I begged. "I didn't want to talk about it. I still don't. He was gone, I was fine in a day or two, there was no reason to get everyone upset."

"No reason? Considering what happened, I think there was plenty of reason!"

In the end, I did the one thing guaranteed to redirect my father's attention: I cried. Not my finest moment, but it worked well enough to get me off the hook.

Once the family inquisition was over, we had to turn our attention to the press. Rose and Emmett went to our respective apartments to pick up clothes and other necessities and found our apartment staked out by news vans. The fact that the previously unknown Isabella Swan lived with the very well-known Rosalie Hale King sparked a new interest in my abduction, leading to wider coverage of Rose's divorce and speculation about the "undisclosed terms" of her settlement. That, of course, led to the rerelease of the paparazzi photos and additional speculation about our connection to Jasper and Alice. Emmett was identified early on as Jasper's bodyguard; he made use of his professional skills to get himself and Rose through the throngs of vultures without much more than a few pictures and a thousand "no comments." Eventually Edward was identified as well, but his relative obscurity and lack of any really juicy activities kept him pretty far off the radar. King made appearances in some stories as well, although his security was far tighter and more aggressive in warding off the press.

Once Rose and Emmett were spotted, it became essential to get Jasper and Alice out of town before the press found its way to the Cullen house.

"I'm so sorry, Jasper," I told him as I hugged him goodbye. "It's been great meeting you, and I hope all this doesn't cause you too much trouble."

"Nah, don't worry, Bella," he grinned. "I'm just glad you're safe."

Alice bounced up and threw her arms around me as Jasper moved on to speak to Edward.

"When all this quiets down a bit and you're feeling better, you and Rose just have to come see us in L.A.!" she squealed. "We'll have a great time, I promise. I'll even teach you some super-secret ninja paparazzi-avoidance techniques I've learned!"

I laughed. "Sure thing, Alice. I'll look forward to it."

Emmett had been back from the airport for all of an hour before the first van pulled up out front. By the time the 11pm news aired, Carlisle and Esme's front yard was ablaze with lights. Esme bemoaned the trampling of her gardens, which only made me feel worse for bringing all of this insanity into their lives. Apologies to that effect, however, were decidedly unwelcome.

"Nonsense, Bella! Gardens can be replanted. Keeping you safe is all that matters. You are a part of this family now." She hugged me. I had to admit, I liked being a part of the Cullen/Masen family. There was an intimacy among them that I'd never really felt with my own parents. Not to mention that being a part of his family meant being with Edward forever, an idea I was quickly becoming quite attached to. Rationally, I knew it was far too soon for us to even consider anything long-term. Still, whenever I found myself in his arms—which happened more often than not—I couldn't help daydreaming.

Charlie had to return to Forks the day after Jasper and Alice left; he was running out of personal time, and I suspected that the close quarters in the Cullen house were making him a bit claustrophobic. He was reluctant to leave me, of course, and tried to convince me to go back to Forks with him to recuperate and get away from the press, but I knew deep down he was looking forward to getting back to his quiet life and his fishing reels. He shook Edward's hand and gave him one of those shoulder man-hugs before heading outside to Carlisle's car, which I took as a good sign. At least Edward had been spared the gun cleaning.

With Charlie gone, we were down to Carlisle, Esme, Rose, Emmett, Edward, and me in the house, which gave us all a little breathing room. I stayed away from the windows and was glad to have Carlisle on hand to look over my stitches and help me change my bandages. I began healing, physically at least. Emotionally I still had my moments, although Rose and I agreed I was in far better shape this time around than I'd been before.

"Why do you think that is?" she asked me one day. We were alone for the first time in ages; Carlisle was at the hospital, Esme was working in her home office, and Emmett and Edward had challenged each other to a video game tournament. _That_ was a little more testosterone and violence than I could stand at the moment, so Rose and I had retreated to her room to catch up.

"I don't know. Probably because it's over now, you know? James isn't coming back." I shrugged. "Edward tells me I'm still having nightmares, but it's like they're already fading; I don't remember having them every time anymore."

"That's good, but you know, Bells, it might be a good idea for you to see someone. I mean, just to be sure you're okay, you know?"

"Carlisle says the same thing. And he's probably right. I don't know. I'll get there, I'm sure; Edward will probably start in on me about it soon as well, and you know I can't refuse that boy anything."

"How is he doing now? Getting any better?"

Edward had started sleeping again at night, although I suspected he didn't get much rest from it. He was too attuned to me and my nightmares, waking instantly if I stirred even slightly in the bed. After that first morning here I'd made it a regular practice to take naps during the day "to rest and heal," knowing that Edward would come with me. He seemed to sleep better when he knew other people were awake and on watch. After a nudge from me, Emmett had started encouraging these naps, promising to keep an eye on things, and Esme used all her motherly guilt-tripping skills to seal the deal.

When we were awake, Edward was rarely more than a few feet from my side. I'd had to put my foot down finally, much like I'd done when he was chaperoning me everywhere. His constant presence was soothing the first few days, and I still welcomed it in moderation, but I'd been enlisting everyone else to distract him as much as possible. Hence the yelling and cheering downstairs as he and Emmett went 10 rounds in Wii boxing or some such thing.

"Yeah, he's doing all right. I think things will calm down now that the press is gone." I craned my neck to look out the window, where the yard was now free of strangers and lights. It had been more than a week, and things were finally starting to settle down. Once Jasper and Alice surfaced in Los Angeles, most of the photographers out front had disappeared, which helped lessen Edward's tension a bit. We were still dodging calls from some of the national morning shows, but they were quickly dwindling in number. Somehow, in spite of all the intense scrutiny, we had managed to keep the bulk of our secrets hidden, and I was cautiously relieved about that.

"I still can't believe they didn't dig up more dirt," I mused. Rose pursed her lips and raised an eyebrow.

"I wondered about that too. But I have my suspicions that maybe Royce stepped in."

I stared at her, incredulous. "Royce?"

"Yeah, well, once the press started digging, he was as much at risk as we were, you know? More, really, if they found out he'd been the one hiding and paying off James all this time. Talk about bad publicity! Don't get me wrong—I don't think he did us any favors. But we both know he'll do anything, pay anything, to keep his image squeaky clean."

"True." I pondered Royce King for a moment. He was a rat bastard son of a bitch and always would be. Yet he'd helped when I was missing, so part of me was almost grateful.

_Then again, he'd only done it under threat of dismemberment by Edward and Emmett, so yeah. Still a rat bastard._

"So what's next, do you think?" Rose asked. "I mean, once you're all healed and things start to go back to normal, what do you want to do?"

"I don't know, Rose. I still haven't had time to really process the money and all of this and how my life will change or how I'll move forward from here. Why, do you have something in mind?"

"Bella." She looked at me pointedly. "Have you ever known me to be without a plan? Especially when spending money is involved?"

I had to give her that. We talked for a while about trips, houses, apartments, clothes, the usual. Eventually we began going over our ideas for the shelters we wanted to build.

"I mentioned the idea to Esme, actually," she told me. "She'd like to be involved in designing them. She also thinks Carlisle could help us coordinate medical care and maybe even get some support from the hospital."

"That would be amazing. They're such good people. We're lucky to know them."

"I know." Rose smiled as another loud cheer erupted from downstairs. "And their sons aren't too bad either."

* * *

**EPOV**

Bella's face healed with little scarring thanks to Carlisle's plastic surgeon friend. When the bandages had finally come off and all the bruises had faded, she was as beautiful as ever. During our stay with my parents we'd eventually started talking about our living arrangements, although nothing had been decided for sure as yet. Rose and Bella's lease on their apartment was up, and I knew Emmett wanted to move in with Rose, but she wasn't quite as sold on the idea. It was looking more and more like she would be getting her own place close to our apartment and waiting out the last few months of our lease before they made any decisions.

Like Emmett, I was eager to move in with Bella, and I hoped to have more luck convincing her than my brother had had with her friend, but I hadn't been able to get her alone long enough to ask. We'd been practically living together anyway for months now, and I really wanted to try living with her under more normal circumstances—at least as normal as having a multimillionaire girlfriend could possibly be. She was still reeling over how much work it was being wealthy; she and Rose had been meeting with financial advisors and looking into investments, making arrangements to sell off some of Rose's properties, and getting caught up on bills. They'd also started outlining plans for their shelters, and I'd been happily surprised to see my parents getting drawn into those plans as well.

We were at my apartment for the first time in weeks. The press had finally gone away, the news having moved on to bigger and better things. Bella preferred my apartment to her own; she claimed it was because my bed was more comfortable, but I knew she simply wasn't ready to go back. I wasn't either; I'd spent all of those horrible days and nights in that apartment not knowing if I'd ever see her alive again, and those were memories best left alone. It was also the first time in weeks that we'd been able to make love without having a houseful of people around us, so we'd been quite enthusiastic. She'd collapsed on top of me in exhaustion, and I was trailing my fingers along her arm as we caught our breaths.

"Bella?"

"Hmmmm?" She was already half-asleep, and I wondered if I should wait. My hesitation caught her attention, however, and she looked up at me. "Did you say something?"

"I was just wondering…" I trailed off.

"What?"

"Bella, I love you, and…and I'd really like us to get a place together. Would you—would you move in with me?"

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious? You want to live with me?"

"I'm serious."

She bit her lip and I held my breath, preparing for an argument.

"I'd love to."

_She said yes._ My heart leapt. "Are you sure?"

"Are you? I mean, I'm not easy to live with, you know. I expect lids on toothpaste tubes and toilet seats returned to their original down position. I love to cook but I hate cleaning up after it."

"And you steal all the covers when you sleep, and you listen to chick rock when you're working, and you organize your underwear drawer by color." I grinned. "I know you, Bella. I know what I'm getting into."

"Oh you do, do you? Well you're not perfect either, Mr. Masen. You snore, did you know that?"

"I do not!"

"Oh yes you do. You snore when you're drunk. Loud, log-sawing snoring. Ask Rose or Emmett, they've heard it. It's inhuman." She smiled. "And you hum movie themes when you write. That's why I crank up the chick rock, it drowns out your off-key warbling."

"Hm, in that case maybe we need a place big enough for separate offices. So we don't distract each other."

"Maybe. But for the record, I like being distracted by you. In some ways more than others, of course." She pulled herself up and kissed me.

"So, are we doing this?" I asked. "Getting a place together?"

"Yes." She kissed me again. "A thousand times, yes."

As I wrapped my arms around her and lost myself in her kisses, I realized that I was happy in a way I'd never felt before. _She'd said yes._

I found myself wishing I'd asked a different question. But it was far too soon for that.

Wasn't it?

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**The next chapter will be the last, no epilogue, just the ending! Thank you to everyone who's made it this far, and a big thank you to the small handful of readers who've been reading this story as I post it and have been leaving comments on all or most of the chapters. I have appreciated having your company on this ride! **

**Big wet sloppy kisses to ooza for jumping in late to the game and prereading the hell out of this story as well. **

**Story Notes:**

**_The Wizard of Oz_ was released in 1939 and starred Judy Garland. "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" was one of the songs we used to sing to my son when he was an infant. And one of my favorite episodes of **_**The X-Files,**_** "Triangle," recreated the Dorothy homecoming scene with Mulder and The Lone Gunmen. I'm thinking in this story that Emmett would be the Lion, Edward the Scarecrow, Carlisle The Wizard, Esme is Auntie Em, Rose is Glinda, Alice is a Munchkin, Jasper is the Tin Man, Bella is Dorothy, and that leaves Jake to be Toto. ;)**


	21. Chapter 21: The Princess Bride

**Chapter 21: The Princess Bride**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of its related characters or story elements. I have simply twisted them to my own uses.**

**This is the last chapter! Goodbyes, thank yous, and other Academy Awards-type speechmaking at the end. I'll try to keep it under 45 seconds. **

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**EPOV**

Bella and I began looking for apartments the next day. It was slow going. She was torn most of the time between the sensible part of her brain that said we needed something small and simple and the other part of her brain that wanted to take her money out for a spin to see what it could do. We looked at some apartments even worse than the one Emmett and I had been living in, and some that would have impressed even Rosalie for sheer luxury. Finally, she enlisted the help of my mother and a real estate agent, and ultimately her financial advisor, Jane Caius, who suggested buying a house rather than renting, arguing that the market was ripe for making investments in real estate.

"Are we ready to buy a house, though?" Bella asked me that night. "I mean, that's a pretty hefty commitment."

Mentally, I had to agree with her; for us as a couple, it was probably too soon to be buying houses and putting down roots. For me, in particular, it was a near impossibility; I didn't have any kind of nest egg I could put into a property. I'd been counting on splitting rent with Bella, holding up my end of a lease, my share of the bills, et cetera. My ego would not permit me to let her foot all my bills as well as her own. My sabbatical year was almost over, and I would be going back to teaching full-time, but regardless, my income would be nothing compared with Bella's net worth. I was at a loss; I wanted to be with Bella and share in her dreams, but suddenly I was all too aware that I couldn't actually afford that kind of lifestyle.

"You can always rent it out later, you know," I said, deliberately not answering her question. "I mean, if it's an investment, it'll be something you can keep or sell or do as you please with, right?"

She tilted her head and looked at me quizzically.

"There were an awful lot of 'yous' in that sentence and not one 'we,' Mr. Masen." She frowned. "I thought we were in this together?"

"Of course we are." I smiled at her as sincerely as I could. "I just want you to be happy, baby." The man's answer to any sticky situation. It never failed.

_Until now._

"That is a load of bullshit and you know it, Edward." She shook her head. "I can read you like a book, so don't try any of that 'placating the missus' crap with me. Talk to me."

I rubbed my face and dragged my hands through my hair. "It's nothing, Bella."

She stared at me and waited, eyebrows raised. Then she turned on the look. The only look she had that truly scared me. The look that said _"Do as I say or there will be no sex for you!"_

"Fine," I spat. "The thing is, Bella, I'm…well, the truth is I'm a bit intimidated by the money."

"Intimidated?"

"Well, yeah, babe. I mean, I want to be able to take care of you, or at least support you and share your life equally. But you really don't need me in that way anymore. I'm not equal anymore. If you want to buy a house, you can just buy a house. I can't even afford a down payment! If you wanted to take a trip across Europe, I'd have to stay behind and work."

"I'd never go on a trip without you, Edward. I'd pay your way if you couldn't."

She didn't get it.

"That's my point, Bella. I can't let you do that. I can't be the kind of man who is kept by his woman. This isn't _Breakfast at Tiffany's,_ and you're not my patroness, covering my expenses so I can write."

"Suddenly I've gone from Holly GoLightly to Mrs. Failenson?" she asked. I was impressed she even knew the character's name. One more reason why I loved her.

"No, of course not. It's just—I don't want to hold you back, Bells. I don't want to be the baggage you have to carry around now. You're free to be whoever you want to be, do or see whatever you want, go anywhere in the world and just live. But I'm still me. I'm still just Edward Masen, film professor."

"Is that what you want to be, Edward? Is that what makes you happy?"

I thought about it. I'd been thinking about it for the past few days. With life slowly getting back to normal and Bella and I trying to figure out how we fit together in this new reality, I'd been taking stock of a lot of things in my life. I hadn't let go of the realization I'd had when she agreed to move in with me: I knew now that sometime very soon I would want to ask Bella to marry me.

"I don't know anymore," I answered honestly. "When I took my sabbatical, I was fired up about writing my book. But you came along, and all of this insanity happened, and things look different from this side, you know?"

I glanced at her, and her face was twisted in an odd expression, almost—hurt?

"So you're telling me that my being in your life has—what, ruined your life?"

"What? No! I didn't mean that, Bella, I swear." _How could she think that?_ "I just meant that meeting you, falling in love with you, and then dealing with everything has changed my perspective on what I want from my life. I want to be with you, Bella. I want us to find the perfect place and settle down together into a normal, happy life. But…I guess I'm worried that I won't be enough for you now."

She opened her mouth to interrupt, but I kept going.

"I know what you're going to say, baby. I know you don't feel that way. I know you love me and want to be with me. Believe me, I know it in my heart. But I want to take care of you, Bella. I want to be the person you turn to for all things. And my head is having trouble wrapping itself around the idea that, financially at least, you will never need me in that way. I will never be able to give you anything you can't buy for yourself."

She studied me for a minute. I wondered and feared what words she might be composing in her mind as she pulled her lip between her teeth and narrowed her eyes.

"At the risk of sounding horribly cliché, Edward, there's a lot more to life than money. I spent most of the past year living a shell of an existence just to gain money I neither earned nor deserved. Don't you think it weighs on me as well? I haven't forgotten what you said to me the day you found out about all this, when you said the money made it seem like what Rose and I went through was no big deal as long as we got paid."

"I wasn't implying that you—" She waved me off.

"I know you didn't mean it that way, but I have to admit, it was hard to hear. And now here we are, and the money is mine, and it's tainted in more ways than I could even have imagined. Not only does it represent that horrible night in the library, but it makes me feel like a high-class prostitute as well. Add to that what I've just had to go through with James, and the reward, or revenge I suppose, that was the focus of my entire world for so long is now both monumental and inconsequential to me at the same time."

"I don't understand."

"What I'm saying is that I have this enormous wealth, and it's overwhelming and exhausting and requires more thought and attention than I could ever have expected. It's a mere fraction of what Rosalie is dealing with, yet it weighs on me because it's nothing I've ever experienced before. I'm not like Rose. I don't expect the finer things in life. I don't need designer labels and a fancy car and homes in every hemisphere. I don't have the foggiest clue what to do with it. It has no meaning for me, except as a means of securing my future while I figure myself out."

She brushed aside the clutter of printouts and booklets advertising homes and condos and apartments and straddled my lap, resting her forearms on my shoulders and looking me in the eye.

"But if my having it meant losing you, I would give it all to Rose, or to charity, or hell, even back to that prick Royce in a fucking heartbeat. I need you. The one thing you can give me that I'll never be able to buy is your love. That is the gift I'll always want and the gift no one else can give me. You've taken care of my heart, my mind, and my body in more ways than I'll ever be able to repay you, no matter how much I have in the bank. You saved my life. You gave me a life and a reason to live it."

I kissed her, long and hard. She tightened her arms around my neck. After several long minutes I pulled away, and she whimpered a little in complaint.

"I just want to be everything for you, Bella," I said. "I want us to be partners in everything."

"Well, you know, there's a simple solution for that."

I was confused. "What's that?"

She blushed and stared down at her fingers.

"Marry me," she said.

* * *

**BPOV**

_Oh God, did I really just say that out loud?_

It's not like I hadn't considered the idea of Edward and I someday getting married. I loved him. But I also knew that we'd been together only a very short time, barely a handful of months, and none of that time had been spent living any kind of _normal_ existence. There was still so much we needed to learn about ourselves and each other. We didn't know for sure yet how the pieces of our regular, daily lives were even going to look, let alone how they would fit together.

But from the moment I drunkenly danced into Edward's arms and he stepped into my life, I'd felt whole. It had taken a long time to recognize it for what it was, because of all the noise and drama and history that had come between us, but the gaping holes in my existence that Jacob and James and Royce had left behind were healed by Edward's presence. I'd meant what I said to him—I'd been living nothing more than an imitation of life, a pantomime of what I thought life should be, even before that night in the library. I'd done my duty as a daughter and a wife and pursued professional ambitions I thought I should achieve in order to fill in the blanks on some invisible life chart.

Having my marriage fall apart and thus losing my home, followed weeks later by the loss of my career, my faith in people, and my overall sense of security, had severely damaged my self-image. It had left me aimless, unsure of where I fit in the world and what I was capable of. In that state I'd latched onto Rosalie and the promise of riches, and in the process I'd handed over the reins to her and allowed myself to be led down roads that neither filled the voids nor gave me any lasting happiness.

Until she led me to Edward. For which I would be grateful to her forever.

Yet marriage? Now? Already? And in my case, _again?_ We hadn't even begun to spend the money and already it was coming between us. I had no problem taking care of him, but it was clear he would have none of that. I certainly didn't want to emasculate him. The logical solution, then, would be to split the money. Make it _ours_ instead of _mine_.

The question hung between us. I was both horrified at myself for suggesting it and desperate to know his answer. Was I even serious in asking?

What if he said yes?

Was I ready to get married again? I had no idea.

Until he answered.

Then I knew both how very much I wanted to be his wife, and how very deeply he could hurt me.

"No, Bella."

I was incapable of thought or reaction or movement. My entire body locked down in preparation for the tidal wave that would no doubt drown me once my heart remembered how to function again.

If it ever remembered.

"Oh." The sound that passed my lips was really only the release of what little air was left in my lungs. It had the shape of a word, but there was no conscious thought behind it.

_"Bella!"_ I was vaguely aware that he was talking to me. I was watching his lips move, but they made no sense. He didn't want me. Not the way I wanted him, at least. _"Bella, baby, please!"_

I realized that I was still straddling him. It seemed suddenly inappropriate. He didn't want me.

"I'm sorry," I said mechanically as I moved to stand. But I was still unable to lift myself off of him. I felt heavy. My arms had become leaden. My head fell forward of its own accord, as though it too had become too heavy for my neck to bear.

But a spark of something made me blink once, then twice. There was a strange stutter in my chest.  
Something on my mouth.

Lips. Kisses.

Edward.

_Edward._

"Bella, please baby, listen to me!" Another kiss. Another. Spark. Spark. An ignition, trying to catch. A smoldering ember trying to burst back into flame. Another fluttering movement in my chest. The taste of honey on my lips. The feel of air returning slowly to my lungs.

My eyes focused. Green. Anxious, watery, glowing green.

"Edward." A whisper.

"Oh thank God." Another kiss. Arms, holding me, pinning me to him. "Bella, please listen to me. I love you. I want to be with you. I promise."

Words, passing through my eardrum, registering in my brain. Another, more definitive thump from my heart. Another. Another. He loved me. He loved me.

"But you said no." My voice. More than a whisper, less than solid sound.

"Bella, I only said no because I don't want it to happen this way. Not as some kind of business arrangement! I love you. And when we promise to love each other forever as husband and wife, I want it to be because of that love and not because of the money."

_Not because of the money._

_For love. Not for the money._

My heart beat again, my lungs pulled in air, my mind processed his words.

_When we promise to love each other forever._

_When. Not if._

"You said when." My mouth twitched. My cheeks lifted. "You said when."

"What?"

"You said _when_ we promise to love each other forever. Not _if_." I was smiling. My heart was beating. He wanted me. He loved me. He said _when_.

His answering smile dazzled me. "Not _if,_ Bella. I promise. It will happen." He kissed me again. And again. And again. A long silence of mouths and lips and tongues communicating everything that words alone could not possibly express.

He pulled away and touched his forehead to mine before grasping my face in his hands and holding my eyes to his. Another small kiss. A smile.

"And call me old-fashioned, Bella, but I kinda wanna be the one who gets to ask the question."

A laugh—happiness, expectation, anticipation, joy.

* * *

**EPOV**

We settled on a nice apartment and an equal share of the responsibilities. We agreed that the long-term commitment of buying a house put too much pressure on us to define our relationship before we'd truly even begun. We wanted to experience the honeymoon period of getting to know each other in every way possible. I wanted to return to work and get back into the swing of teaching. Bella wanted time to develop the shelter project. We had to learn how to live with each other's quirks and bad habits. We unpacked her books and my movies and argued over which collection deserved greater prominence on our shelves. Her artwork filled the greater part of our walls, but my theater system and large plasma flat panel took the prime spot in the living room. We bought furniture together and argued over colors and fabrics and the necessity of cupholders in the armrests.

"It's a sofa, not a car, Edward!" she argued. "We'll have table space for people to put their drinks down. On _coasters_."

We bought an enormous king-sized bed for the master bedroom. Having already spent several weeks crammed into Bella's old queen bed, fighting each other for covers and space, we agreed that bigger was definitely better.

"Think of all the fun we can have in a bed this big," I teased her. She laughed. Then her eyes twinkled and her lips pulled into an evil grin.

"Think of how much room we'll have to spare when the kids come in to sleep with us!"

_The kids?_

"Kids?" My face must have betrayed my shock.

"You don't want kids?" She was biting that damn lip again and eyeing me nervously.

"I…never thought about it, I guess." I watched her face fall slightly, and I reached out to lift her chin with my finger. "That doesn't mean I don't want them, Bella," I said gently. "Do you?"

"I never thought I would," she answered honestly. "With Jacob, he was such a child himself and I was busy with work and climbing the ladder and all that 'important business,' I never thought there would be a place in my life for children. But with you…" she trailed off with a wistful look. "I have visions of redheaded girls and handsome, green-eyed boys. I could be home to raise them and they'd have the best of everything. We'd go on family trips and you and I would grow old together, see them off to college and be there when they fall in love and get married…"

She was rambling, but the pictures she was painting weren't terrifying me the way I thought they would. My brain was suddenly filled with ideas I hadn't considered before. Babies. Bella, round with my child. Playing baseball with a son…or sons. Enlisting Charlie and his guns to frighten boys away from my daughters. Me…a Daddy? I had already imagined how Bella would look someday, walking with Charlie down a long aisle toward me; what if the picture were reversed? What if I were walking down the aisle, my daughter on my arm? Her long brown hair like Bella's, but with my eyes.

I noticed after a moment that Bella had stopped talking, and when I focused on her, she was blushing.

"I'm sorry, Edward. I suppose I've given this a bit of thought." She smiled hesitantly. "I just assumed, I guess, that you wanted kids…"

"How many?" I asked, surprising both of us.

"Um, I don't know, I guess. At least two, maybe more? I guess we'd have to see how we feel. What do you think?"

I pulled her to me, wrapping her tightly in my arms and imagining again her belly swollen with my child. Feeling it kick and move inside her. How beautiful she would look, sweaty and exhausted, with our baby in her arms. A life made from our love.

"I doubt we could stop at two, we'd probably have too much fun making them," I said with a grin, kissing the top of her head. "But that sounds like a perfect beginning for our family."

"And just think of all the practicing we can do until we're ready to start trying," she chuckled.

I reached down and lifted her face to mine again. She rested her chin on my chest, and her eyes were glowing with happiness.

"Can we start now?" I asked. Her fingers twisted in my hair.

"As you wish."

_Since the invention of the kiss there have been five kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind._

_The End._

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_**And that's a wrap, as they say! Thanks to everyone who has read and/or recommended AIoL, and especially those who've left comments. You make me all kinds of happy. To everyone else—I've tried not to be the author who begs for reviews, but if you've made it this far, please click that "Review" link and let me know! Good, bad, sweet, silly, critical—share your thoughts! And if you've enjoyed the story, please consider recommending it to your friends or sharing it on Twitter! **

**I'm not planning an epilogue or any additional elements for this story right now, but there are a few possible areas for outtakes and side pieces I may explore at some point, perhaps for a Fandom Gives Back auction. Put me on author alert if you're interested.**

**Huge thanks to ooza for prereading and commenting and making me smile with her reactions. She's an awesome writer as well, look her up! Thanks also to MsKathy and KayCannon01 for giving me notes on the early chapters. **

**Story Notes: **

**The chapter title as well as the "as you wish" quote and the last lines of the story all come from **_**The Princess Bride**_** (1987), which starred Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, and Mandy Patinkin and was directed by Rob Reiner.**

**I've already noted **_**Breakfast at Tiffany's**_** in an earlier chapter, but for those unfamiliar with the movie, Mrs. Failenson is the wealthy, married "sugar mommy" paying the bills for George Peppard's character, writer Paul Varjak. "Varjak. V-A-R, J-A-K."**


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